WATCH: Hot Guys Reading Poems

An ambitious film that promotes poetry and male beauty is raising funds to help finance production.

Written and directed by gay filmmaker Hunter Lee Hughes, the project, titled Guys Reading Poems, is set to be a suspenseful neo-noir that begins with a child being locked in an antique puppet box and involves the intrigue of a secret society. Breaking new ground in storytelling, the project seeks to highlight poetry that ranges in source from the Bible to modern gay writers like Steven Reigns.

The beautiful words will be read by beautiful men, with a cast that includes Alexander Dreymon (American Horror Story), Blake Sheldon (Gone Girl), Gopal Divan, Jason Fracaro, Vincent Montuel, and Justin Schwan.

Hughes says the purpose of Guys Reading Poems is to encourage a creative medium that Hollywood often neglects, highlighting the power of the printed word over simulations of violence and "virtual reality."

"I realized that poetry could be cinematic if coupled with the right concept to support it," Hughes says. "Plus, young men's creativity is so often channeled into video games or blockbuster-style movies where their impulses are framed by corporate entertainment products or a virtual reality with pre-programmed stock characters."

"It's rare that young men are truly given the chance to express something from the inside-out," he adds, "and I hope our film might stimulate that instinct."

To support Guys Reading Poems, visit the project's Kickstarter page, and find more information at GuysReadingPoems.com. And watch a preview of the film below.