Lupita Nyong'o was announced last year as a star in the remake of 1989 Hong Kong action-thriller The Killer. John Woo has now said that's no longer the case.
Woo, who directed the original film and will helm the Americanized remake, explained at the Hawaii International Film Festival that "scheduling" issues are to blame for Nyong'o's departure.
"There was a scheduling problem because she’s so popular right now," said Woo about Nyong'o, as Deadline reports. "We rewrote the script and it took so much time…She had to leave for another project."
The remake is still happening, however, and the gender-flipped approach to the cast of the original will remain.
"The biggest reason why I wanted to do this movie again because [I wanted] ‘the killer’ to be a woman—that’s exciting to me," added Woo. "It will make the movie have a different look."
That's not the only Woo remake in development. The 1997 Nicolas Cage and John Travolta-starring Face/Off is getting a reboot at Paramount, but Woo said he's got no involvement in it. He did explain that he previously suggested a sequel years ago, though, and he's happy the remake is being made.
Woo also spoke about when the late Stan Lee approached him to direct a Marvel film before the MCU even started. "I don't have that gift," Woo said. "I'm not a sci-fi guy, I don't think I could make a good one. There's so much imagination... I don't think I can reach that level."
