For wholly understandable reasons, Owen Wilson has pulled out of his co-starring role in Ben Stiller’s action comedy, Tropic Thunder, in order to concentrate on his recovery following his reported suicide attempt over the weekend.
Although the movie – which stars Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr. as pampered actors who are forced to become real-life combatants while filming a war flick – has been shooting in Hawaii for six weeks, Wilson’s role wasn’t scheduled to start shooting for another 2-3 weeks. It would have taken him a week or so, and would have continued his run of movies with Stiller, including Zoolander, Meet The Parents and Starsky & Hutch.
Variety are reporting that Wilson’s departure from the film was a mutual decision between Stiller and himself. It’s unclear if Wilson’s current situation – he’s recovering in Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in LA, following the events of Sunday, when he was rushed to hospital after reportedly attempting suicide – will affect his participation in Marley & Me, a movie he’s set to start shooting with Jennifer Aniston in January, and press duties for his latest collaboration with Wes Anderson, The Darjeeling Limited, which opens in the States at the end of September, and his Judd Apatow-produced comedy, Drillbit Taylor, which opens next March.
It’s also unknown as yet if his role in Tropic Thunder will be recast, or whether the movie will be rewritten to accommodate Wilson’s absence.
Usually, Empire’s news stories rank pretty high on the Glib-o-meter, but for obvious reasons we’re going to hold back on this one. We’re big fans of Wilson – a likeable, unique talent - here at Empire Towers, and wish him all the best in his recovery.