James Franco Backs Out of ‘Sweet Bird of Youth’ Broadway Revival

Actor James Franco was originally set to join the cast of the Broadway revival of Tennessee Williams’ Sweet Bird of Youth in just a few months, but Franco’s publicist confirmed recently that the actor has backed out of the show.

Additionally, Sweet Bird of Youth director David Cromer stated in an interview that the show would still go on without Franco, but Cromer showed uncertainty as to just when the Broadway revival is expected to begin.

Sweet Bird of Youth is a 1959 play about Chance Wayne, a gigalo, who’s looking to use Alexandra Del Lago, a faded Hollywood actress, to break into the movie industry. The original play starred Paul Newman alongside Geraldine page, and ran for 10 months.

Excitement was starting to build up after the revival’s announcement, due in no small part to the high profile cast, including James Franco as Chance Wayne and Nicole Kidman as Alexandra Del Lago.

Franco’s publicist didn’t provide a reason for Franco’s decision to pull out of the production, but it may have something to do with the rather high number of projects he’s currently on, all in various stages of production – including Oz: The Great and Powerful, a prequel to the classic Wizard of Oz.