Wolfman director goes walkies

Director Mark Romanek has quit The Wolfman weeks before the cameras were due to roll on the big budget Universal production, reports in Hollywood say.

Romanek, who wrote and directed the critically-acclaimed One Hour Photo with Robin Williams, reportedly left in a dispute over funding for the film, which is set to star Benicio Del Toro (Usual Suspects, Traffic) as a man who gets bitten by a werewolf during a visit to his ancestral home in Victorian England.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Romanek's departure is another blow for Universal following the departure of Fight Club pair Brad Pitt and Edward Norton from their adaptation of BBC political thriller State Of Play.

However, they were replaced by Ben Affleck and Russell Crowe and the studio told the Hollywood Reporter that "production is poised to move forward" on The Wolfman too.

Romanek made his name with as a director of music videos, which included promos for Madonna, David Bowie and REM. He also directed Johnny Cash's Hurt, the country legend's last video.

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