James Franco On Broadway: To Star In 'Sweet Bird Of Youth' With Nicole Kidman

Add Broadway Star to James Franco's resume. As if he wasn't busy enough.

The renaissance man actor/author/student/professor and Oscar host has found a bit of time to squeeze starring in a Broadway show into his schedule, attaching himself to a revival of Tennessee Williams' 'Sweet Bird of Youth.' He has an impressive co-star, too: Nicole Kidman is also committed to starring in the show.

Deadline.com broke the news of the commitments, saying that both stars are negotiating but firmly in on the Scott Rudin-produced project. It should be a major headliner, as both Franco and Kidman are nominated for Academy Awards. Franco will play Chance Wayne, a gigolo who becomes the companion of aging actress Alexandra Del Lago, to be played by Kidman.

One may wonder when Franco will get the time for rehearsing and performing in a major Broadway production. In addition to hosting the Oscars, directing two movies based on classic novels, starring in and directing a film about a serial killer, and working on at least three post-grad literary programs, Franco has announced that he'll be teaching a college course about himself.

First lesson? Time management.

For more, click over to Deadline.com.

Comments

[standish]

08:45 PM on 02/02/2011

Pure stunt casting. Welcome to the new Broadway: get several name actors together (a la Julia Roberts or Scarlett Johannson) in a strictly limited run, charge a small fortune for tickets, and hand them a couple of Tony Awards -- like Johannson -- for their efforts to give them legit theatre credits and bolster ratings for the annual Tony Awards show. If anyone remembers, the original actors in these roles were Paul Newman and Geraldine Page and it wasn't written into their contracts that they would play for maybe one or two or three months at the max. If anyone also remembers, Kidman couldn't even play a limited engagement in "The Blue Room" on Broadway -- she backed out because of illness (aside from the fact that she is totally inappropriate for the role of a faded blowsy boozy actress in "Sweet Bird"). Now, make a movie out this with Johnny Depp and Meryl Streep in the roles and that's what I would pay good money to see. But this is the new Broadway, where actors make "guest appearances" and wouldn't even know how to begin to sustain a performance over a long run.

[BigGuy]

08:42 AM on 02/07/2011

Franco has the energy to sustain a performance for a long run.

[CamBrown99]

02:50 PM on 02/02/2011

It's great to see the rest of the world catch up to what some of us knew 11 years ago when he was in Freaks and Geeks.

[raker]

02:30 PM on 02/02/2011

Two fine actors, but they both look 19. (It's a long way from Margo Channing to Nicole Kidman. Brava, Nicole.) I don't know about this one.

[jessicajuliette]

12:08 PM on 02/02/2011

Personifies Renaissance Man

[dre31]

11:46 AM on 02/02/2011

All I can say is this is one fine guy and very talented.. End of story...Hot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Steamboater]

11:22 AM on 02/02/2011

Franco is well cast in this play but Kidman? They should have gone with Marcia Gay Hardman (Hartman?)

[corsair1917]

11:23 AM on 02/02/2011

Harden?

[Empress212]

12:13 PM on 02/02/2011

I agree. Her face doesn't move anymore.

[Bailey Reynolds]

10:50 AM on 02/02/2011

James, there is a little thing called overexposure. You're just about there...

[Empress212]

12:16 PM on 02/02/2011

I'd rather see someone like him than the vapid and untalented Kardashians. At least he isn't a fam3wh0r3.

[NextStopWonder]

10:36 AM on 02/02/2011

This guy is everywhere these days! Except the one place he really needs to be: my bed.

[dre31]

11:47 AM on 02/02/2011

I hope mine first

[canadapaul]

08:43 PM on 02/03/2011

I'll take him in an elevator

[Highball]

10:08 AM on 02/02/2011

He's insane.

In a good way.

[corsair1917]

09:42 AM on 02/02/2011

Seriously does he sleep?
I can't figure out how gets EVERYTHING done that he does and still sleep.

[pbnyc59]

09:36 AM on 02/02/2011

The man can do anything, including me.

[dreaminmaui11]

10:14 AM on 02/02/2011

Get in line behind me, sweetie!! :)

[Steamboater]

11:22 AM on 02/02/2011

Both of you get in line!

[joymora]

09:35 AM on 02/02/2011

This guy is aiming for an EGOT!