Maybe it wasn't 100% definite that Nic was ever going to be in this film. When a lot of films are announced and actors names are mentioned it isn't always definite that that's the final cast. Maybe Nic has another project that clashes and so he had to say no to this project.?
Hm, I was kind of excited to see Nic and Pierce working together...guess I won't get the chance now I wonder what made everyone decide to leave the film
Roman Polanski's (Chinatown, The Pianist) next film, The Ghost, was originally supposed to start filming a few months ago, but didn't, and so some recasting has been done. Tilda Swinton and Nicolas Cage are out, and in for Cage's lead role is Ewan McGregor. Other new cast members are Tom Wilkinson, Kim Cattrall, Olivia Williams and Jim Belushi, with Pierce Brosnan being the only one left of the first three characters announced. The Ghost is based upon a 2007 political novel by Robert Harris (Enigma, Fatherland) about a ghostwriter (McGregor) hired to help a former British Prime Minister (not so loosely inspired by Tony Blair) write his memoirs after the previous writer dies from drowning. I made Jim Belushi the headline for this story because I think it's interesting that the According to Jim star is being included in a movie that is, well, not his usual fare. It's sort of like if Kevin James got cast in the next Mike Leigh movie. Filming starts on February 4th in Berlin.