The posters were up at Cannes, and all seemed to be progressing smoothly: Bruce Willis and Jamie Foxx were starring in the videogame actioner Kane and Lynch, and veteran stunt guy Simon Crane was directing. But while the stars are still on board, Latino Review are reporting that Crane has departed the project, and that Kane and Lynchmay now be directed by Wayne Kramer.
The reasons for Crane's departure aren't clear, although the usual creative differences and "things not working out" are the official line. F Gary Gray (The Italian Job and Law Abiding Citizen) was apparently shmoozed by the studio Millennium earlier this week, but politely declined.
Kramer though, is still sitting at the table, and might do well to stay there. His last film, the Crash-like race relations drama Crossing Over starring Harrison Ford and Ray Liotta, was reasonably well-received but went little seen, and suffered cuts at the behest of a twitchy Miramax. Before that he made the all-over-the-place DTV Paul Walker vehicle Running Scared. That film however, did ably demonstrate that Kramer has a way with violent and grimy shoot-outs that would sit very well with the sociopathic anti-heroics of Mr Lynch and Mr Kane.
Nothing's been signed yet, but expect confirmation shortly. Bruce Willis says the globetrotting crime drama is the best action script he's ever read. Kyle Ward wrote it, the games are by Eidos (Tomb Raider) and the producers are Adrian Askarieh and Daniel Alter. The start-date for shooting is perilously close...