It’s one of the last things any production wants, but it seems James McAvoy has been forced to leave the currently untitled camcer dramedy(formerly known as I’m With Cancer) “due to unrelated circumstances beyond his control”, just days before it’s due to start shooting (some suggest McAvoy had already started filming, but even if he had, all that footage will now have t be scrapped).
There’s no news on quite what the reasons for McAvoy’s departure are – although they’re said to be personal – but thankfully filming won’t be delayed for too long as they’ve already found a replacement for hilm.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt will be stepping into McAvoy’s shoes in the the film, which is about a young man diagnosed with cancer, who has to battle the disease over several years (it’s written by and based on the life of Da Ali G Show producer Will Reiser). It’s the sort of role you’d probably want some preparation for, but Gordon-Levitt is really being thrown in at the deep end.
He’ll now appear alongside the likes of Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick, Bryce Dallas Howard, Anjelica Huston and Philip Baker Hall in the film, which starts shooting in Canada on Monday.