James Franco Quits Tennessee Williams Play

James Franco has dropped out of the upcoming revival of the Tennessee Williams classic Sweet Bird of Youth, reports The New York Times.

Franco was expected to play Chance Wayne, a gigolo, opposite Nicole Kidman as Alexandra Del Lago, a faded movie star, in the latest incarnation of the 1959 Williams play this fall. Franco's publicist Robin Baum confirmed that her client is no longer involved in the production. No reason was given, but Franco is currently filming Oz: The Great and Powerful. Sweet Bird's director tells the Times that the revival is "still on the drawing board, but he did not know when it might happen."

The original Broadway production of Sweet Bird starred Paul Newman as Wayne and Geraldine Page as Del Lago. Both actors reprised their roles in a 1962 film adaptation.