Cromer Says Franco Debut in SWEET BIRD OF YOUTH Likely

As previously reported, James Franco confirmed to MTV news that he intends to co-star with Oscar winner Nicole Kidman in the upcoming Broadway revival of SWEET BIRD OF YOUTH.  Franco says that he will appear appear as Chance Wayne, in the Fall 2011 production, which will be directed by David Cromer.

Cromer recently spoke to the New York Times about the casting choice, revealing that while contracts are not yet signed, "he seems like a really decisive guy, so given that he's saying he wants to do the play, I think he'll do it."

Cromer also states: "Very rarely do you find an actor who can really take on the varied complications of this character, which is one of those virtually uncastable Williams parts...Chance has to be a moron and a poet, and he also has to be fantastically great looking. It's one of my favorite plays, but it's such a mountain, and James and I were in total agreement that the production had to be about the play rather than making it about us. If all of this is about movie stars doing a play, then we should be doing an easier play."

To read the full report in the Times, click here.

Franco can currently can be seen in "127 Hours", for which he received an Oscar nomination this year as well. His other film credits include "Eat, Love, Pray," "Date Night," "Milk" and "Pineapple Express." Franco is also known for his portrayals of Harry Osborn in the "Spider-Man" trilogy.

SWEET BIRD OF YOUTH is a 1959 play by Tennessee Williams which tells the story of a gigolo and drifter, Chance Wayne, who returns to his home town as the accompaniment of a faded movie star (to be played by Kidman), Princess Kosmonopolis (a.k.a., Alexandra Del Lago), who he hopes to use to help him break into the movies. The main reason he returns to his home town is to get back what he had in his youth; primarily, his old girlfriend, whose father had run him out of town years before.

The show has been seen on Broadway twice with the original production (starring Paul Newman,Geraldine Page, Sidney Blackmer, Madeleine Sherwood, Diana Hyland, Logan Ramsey, John Napierand Rip Torn) in 1959. A 1975 revival starred Christopher Walken and Irene Worth and won Worth a Tony Award for Best Actress. A London production in 1985 starred Lauren Bacall and later played Los Angeles.

It's been seen on the big and small screen as well, with Paul Newman, Geraldine Page and Shirley Night starring in a 1962 movie that was nominated for 3 Academy Awards, and a 1989 TV movie Starring ElizaBeth Taylor and Mark Harmon.