Oscar-winner RUSSELL CROWE has reportedly been dumped from director BAZ LUHRMANN's new $150 million (£83 million) film epic in favour of HEATH LEDGER.
The GLADIATOR star was set to play NICOLE KIDMAN's lover later this year (06) in the film set around the Japanese bombing of Darwin, Australia, in 1942.
Crowe has been accused of demanding script approval before signing on for the film.
While Crowe was procrastinating, the film's producers reportedly told Luhrmann to find another actor. The director then met with Ledger several times. A source tells the New York Post, "Baz liked him and offered him the movie.
"Then Crowe came back to Luhrmann and said he'd forgo the script approval and wanted to do the film, but they told him it was too late - to buzz off." A spokeswoman for Luhrmann declined to confirm or deny the report saying, "Baz doesn't publicly comment on his casting processes and currently he has made no final decision on the film, who is in it or when or where it will be shot."