Source: Variety

After appearing in such blockbusters as the Spider-Man franchise and Pineapple Express, James Franco is going to scale it down a bit for In Praise of Shadows from writer/director Jay Anania. Franco is also currently working on getting his masters in English from Columbia University.

Franco will be back in the mainstream soon enough considering that he's appearing in Date Night with Tina Fey and Steve Carell as well as Your Highness with Natalie Portman and Danny McBride.

Franco is coming off a great year in 2008. The young actor made Nights in Rodanthe, Pineapple Express and Milk. While Milk won him critical praise, Express was the biggest hit of the bunch with a domestic haul of $87.3 million.