"James Bond" star Daniel Craig has bailed out of the upcoming high-profile independent film "The Whole Truth" only a week before it was scheduled to start filming.
The actor's sudden departure has halted the production of the film, which was scheduled to begin on April 14 in Boston. The film's producers, Likely Story and Atlas Entertainment, have been busy trying to find a replacement for Craig, the Hollywood Reporter has learned.
An insider close to the project revealed that this major issue has forced producers to delay the production start date for three weeks to give them enough time to find a new actor.
Although Craig's camp has not yet released a formal explanation regarding the actor's decision to leave the film, Web Pro News speculated that the actor might have been offered a better role for a different film or is simply freeing his schedule in case a more appealing project comes his way.
But whatever reason it might be, various media outlets are describing his abrupt and unexplained departure very unprofessional especially given the timeframe that the film's production was following.
Before the "Bond" actor went AWOL, "The Whole Truth" was preparing the lineup for its supporting cast members and was in negotiations with "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" actor Danny Huston, Cinema Blend reported. However, like the production start date, talks with Huston were also put on hold because of Craig.
The storyline for "The Whole Truth" has been kept secret but according to Deadline, it is a courtroom-drama with Craig set to play an attorney. His case involves defending his teenage client, to be played by Gabriel Basso from "Super 8," who was charged with murdering his father. Renee Zellweger will also star in the film.
Courtney Hunt, the director of "Frozen River," the Grand Jury Prize winner during the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, will direct the film based on Nicholas Kazan's script.