James Franco and Chris O'Dowd in first Broadway poster for Of Mice and Men

The actors will play George and Lennie in the production of Steinbeck's classic

James Franco and Chris O'Dowd on the first official poster for Of Mice and Men

James Franco and Chris O’Dowd have made their first appearances as George and Lennie in an official poster for the upcoming Broadway revival of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men.

Directed by Tony Award winner Anna D Shapiro, the new Longacre Theatre production stars the Hollywood actors as two Californian migrant workers struggling to find jobs in the 1930s.

American dreamer George will be portrayed by Franco, while Irish O’Dowd will take on the role of the mentally-handicapped, well-intentioned Lennie. The duo are featured prominently on the poster, clad in denim shirts with vacant, disenchanted expressions on their faces.

The opening night of Of Mice and Men is scheduled for 16 April and will herald the first time that Broadway have hosted Steinbeck’s classic since 1975.

Franco, 34, is best known for his role as ill-fated mountain climber Aron Ralston in Danny Boyle’s 127 Hours, while O’Dowd, 35, played lovable cop Rhodes in hit romantic comedy Bridesmaids.

Other actors signed up for Shapiro's play include The Seafarer’s Jim Norton as aging ranch hand Candy and Gossip Girl’s Leighton Meester as the boss' son Curley's wife.