JT Leroy, for the uninitiated, was a super-hip trans teen novelist who CONQUERED the literary world in the early 2000s. Later, it came to light that JT was actually two women; writer Laura Albert who wrote under the pseudonym and Savannah Knoop who portrayed him for public appearances.

Last month, a documentary  –Author: The J.T. Leroy Story – premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. It showed how Albert, a San Francisco punk rocker and phone sex operator, created created the character and managed to build such a celebrity following (Winona Ryder and Courtney Love claimed to be besties with the “elusive author” and director Asia Argento claimed to be having his baby). Author: the JT Leroy Story was just acquired by Amazon.

Now, according to Variety, Kristen Stewart and Helena Bonham Carter are in talks to join James Franco in JT LeRoy, a behind-the-scenes look at the story of the literary hoax.

Justin Kelly, who directed Franco in “I Am Michael,” will direct the film from his own script, based on the memoir and life rights of Savannah Kroop, who was identified in 2006 as the person who portrayed JT LeRoy — a woman who pretended to be a man who identifies as transgender, tricking the rich and famous in Hollywood, the fashion world and elite literary circles.

LBI Entertainment, Aquarius and Franco’s Rabbit Bandini Productions are producing, while Aquarius is providing equity financing. International rights are being sold at the Berlin Film Festival by Fortitude International.

Producers are planning on starting to shoot this summer.

Fascinating stuff.

Note to self: Perpetrate literary hoax, sit back and watch the MONEY ROLL IN.

Tatum O’Neal, Jt LeRoy, Vanessa Carlton, Gaby Hoffmann, Rosario Dawson, Shirley Manson, Debbie Harry and Winona Ryder
Motorola Presents an Index Magazine Evening with Jt LeRoy and Friends