Michael Douglas doesn't want to return to the movies: "I don't want to be one of those people who drop dead on the set."

BarcelonaAfter a life dedicated to the world of cinema, Michael Douglas, 80, has announced that he wants to step back. He confessed this Sunday at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival, where he attended the tribute to One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, which he produced. During his time at the festival, he explained that he has been "intentionally" out of work since 2022 because he needed a break. "I've worked hard for almost 60 years, and I don't want to be one of those people who just dropped dead on the set," explained the actor, who added that he has no intention of returning to film.

Douglas's last major appearance was in the 2023 Marvel film Ant-Man and the Vespa: Quantumania, in which he plays the character of Henry Pym. Another of his recent projects has been the miniseries. Franklin, from AppleTV+, where he played the role of the Founding Father of the United States. Despite confirming his intentions to be away from the screen, the Hollywood actor has stated that he does not want to say he is retired in case he receives any interesting proposals that make him reconsider his retirement during his stay at the festival. He was diagnosed in 2010 and from which he has already recovered. "Stage 4 cancer is not a vacation, but there are not many options, right? I followed the treatment, which included chemotherapy and radiation, and I was lucky. The surgery would have meant not being able to speak and the removal of part of my jawbone."

Despite his intention to step away from the front line, Douglas confessed that he is working "on a small independent film" for which he is writing a "good script." In any case, he also shared his intention to spend more time with his wife, actress Catherine Zeta-Jones.

The screening of the five-time Oscar-winning film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest It took place fifty years after its premiere at that film festival. Director Forman, along with Douglas, supported this Czech film festival in its early days. "It was a new festival, and Milos felt it was important for their country to be there," Douglas explained.