Zachary Quinto and Emma Roberts have signed on to co-star in Michael, a drama based on the true story of a gay-magazine editor who quits his job, joins the ex-gay movement and becomes a fundamentalist preacher.

James Franco will play the lead, based on Michael Glatze, who edited the teen-twink mag XY and Young Gay America before marrying a woman and becoming a poster boy for ex-gays.

Quinto will play Franco's ex-boyfriend, and Roberts has been cast as his current "love" interest. Chris Zylka (The Amazing Spider-Man, The Leftovers, will play another former flame.

After becoming editor of YGA at 22, Glatze received the National Role Model Award from Equality Forum, appeared on news programs and was quoted in the 2005 Time magazine cover story “The Battle Over Gay Teens.”

In 2005, after moving to Halifax, Glatze maintains he had a religious awakening and realized homosexuality was sinful.  He walked out of the magazine—with “Homosexuality is death, and I choose life” still written on the monitor—began dating a woman (now his wife) and started preaching the gospel of conversion therapy.

[caption id="attachment_158507" align="alignleft" width="185"] Glatze and Denizet-Lewis, back in the day.[/caption]

The script is based on “My Ex-Gay Friend,” a New York Times Magazine article by Benoit Denizet-Lewis about Glatze.  Newcomer Justin Kelly is directing, with Gus van Sant executive producing.

“I’m excited that everyone involved in this project is intent on telling a story that captures the full breadth of Michael’s unusual life," said Denizet-Lewis, "from the inspiring gay leader I knew when I was young to the Christian pastor he is today.”

h/t: Towleroad