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Danish director NICOLAS WINDING REFN has pulled out of KEANU REEVES' new adaptation of DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE due to a scheduling conflict.
The filmmaker was due to take charge of Jekyll, a modern retelling of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic, but has since been forced to withdraw from the project.
He tells EmpireOnline.com, "I just couldn't do it when they needed me. Keanu is a wonderful actor and I'm sure it will be a fantastic film with him in."
Refn has also dropped out of Harrison Ford's upcoming film The Dying Of The Light for different reasons, but insists the split was amicable.
He adds, "Unfortunately it just didn't work out. It's a shame. The script was fantastic but things fall apart. It's one of those things that's difficult - I really like Harrison and I think we got along great."
Instead, Refn has signed on to direct Ryan Gosling's latest film Drive, which is soon to begin shooting in Los Angeles.

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It's been a while since we've heard anything from Keanu Reeves' camp regarding the actor's upcoming modern take on Robert Louis Stevenson's classic tale of the scientist Dr. Jekyll and his monstrous alter-ego, Mr. Hyde, but today came word that the project is director-less as Nicolas Refn had to bow out due to "a simple matter of clashing schedules".

Per Empire Online, instead of working on Reeves' Jekyll, Refn (who is responsible for the Pusher film series) will now concentrate on steering Ryan Gosling's heistman around LA in Drive. "I just couldn't do it when they needed me," Refn told Empire. "Keanu is a wonderful actor, and I'm sure it will be a fantastic film with him in."

Justin Haythe (who penned Revolutionary Road) wrote the script for Jekyll, and as soon as word comes down about Refn's replacement, we'll let you know!