James Franco Drops Out of Broadway Play 'Sweet Bird of Youth'

INFDaily.com

Planet of the Apes Star and Super Student James Franco Quits Sweet Bird of Youth, the Broadway Play in Which He Was Scheduled to Co-Star with Nicole Kidman

Has James Franco's crazy-busy work and school scheduled finally caught up with him?

The New York Times reports that Franco has dropped out of a revival of the Tony Award-winning play Sweet Bird of Youth, in which he was set to co-star with Nicole Kidman on Broadway this fall.

READ MORE: The Wizard of Oz Prequel With James Franco Begins Filming [POLL]

Franco's publicist declined to give a reason why he's out of the play, but with a full upcoming movie slate (including a Wizard of Oz prequel, a biopic of actor Sal Mineo and a drama about real-life 1980s serial killer Richard Ramírez), a packed academic pursuits schedule and a planned return to General Hospital, it's not tough to imagine that the actor had simply bitten off more than he could chew.

Unfortunately, Franco's departure means the Sweet Bird revival won't hit Broadway at all this fall, though show director David Cromer told the Times he hopes the play will debut sometime during the next year.

READ MORE: Lindsay Lohan is 'Like, Best Friends' With James Franco

The Tennessee Williams play originally debuted on Broadway in 1959, with Paul Newman playing gigolo and aspiring actor Chance Wayne, Geraldine Page playing Alexandra De Lago, the has-been Hollywood actress who is Chance's companion, and Elia Kazan directing.

Newman and Page reprised their roles for an Oscar-winning 1962 movie version of the play, while Sweet Bird was also revived for a brief Broadway run during the 1975-76 season (and starred Christopher Walken) and was remade as a 1989 NBC TV movie starring Elizabeth Taylor as Alexandra Del Lago and future NCIS star Mark Harmon as Chance Wayne.