“Spider-Man” star James Franco will not be making a heroic return to UCLA.
The actor will not be fulfilling his scheduled duties as keynote speaker at the university’s College of Letters and Science commencement ceremony on June 12, according to UCLA reps.
“I deeply regret not being able to keep my commitment to giving the commencement speech at UCLA’s graduation this year,” James said in a statement to UCLA. “Unfortunately, the date conflicts with me needing to be on location to begin pre-production on my next film. I wish everyone in the 2009 class the best of luck in all of their future endeavors.”
The star has several developing films on his slate, including Allen Ginsberg biopic “Howl” and medieval stoner comedy “Your Highness.”
As previously reported on AccessHollywood.com, the actor was announced as commencement speaker at the ceremony – the largest of the many held at UCLA every year, which also holds departmental graduations – several months ago, prompting backlash from a small group of students who wrote on Facebook, “We deserve better.”
James graduated UCLA in 2008 after studying creative writing and went on to pursue graduate work at Columbia University in between film projects such as “Milk” and “Pineapple Express.”
The university suffered a similar setback in 2008, when former President Bill Clinton was slated to serve as keynote speaker before pulling out weeks before the ceremony due to concerns over crossing the picket lines of striking workers.
UCLA basketball great (and “Airplane!” star) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar spoke without incident at the 2007 ceremony.
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