James Franco has made headlines more recently for his outside of Hollywood activities than anything he has done on the screen, including being involved in the ongoing legal battles of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, but he appears to be putting that behind him as he has just picked up another new acting gig after a period of inactivity.
James Franco's final film roles came in 2019. He directed Zeroville, his follow-up to The Disaster Artist, and provided his voice to the animated feature Arctic Dogs. However, we haven't seen much of Franco since then, at least in part because of a series of allegations against the actor dating back to 2018.
For the second time in a row, James Franco has had his name attached to a new movie role. A few weeks ago, it was reported that Franco would play Fidel Castro in the film Alina of Cuba.
James Franco's personal life has been much more prominent in recent years than his professional life. Franco was accused of sexual misconduct with students from his acting school. Several cases against the actor were resolved out of court last year, with Francos side paying out roughly $2 million. The situation was so bad that Seth Rogen, who used to collaborate, has since parted ways.
James Franco admitted to sleeping with pupils in his acting school at the end of 2021, partly because he wanted to relieve pressure on others, like Rogen, who were the only ones to hear about the allegations and the aftermath.
James Franco has recently picked up a number of other roles. Two films, The Long Home, which Franco also directed, and Kill the Czar, are both currently in development, but they have yet to be released. He also has a third film, Mace in pre-production.
The big question will likely be how receptive the audience is to the possibility of a professional comeback, if and when James Franco returns on the screen?