John C. Reilly is out, but Malkovich is in

John C. Reilly has dropped out of the upcoming Summit Entertainment action flick RED for unknown reasons and has been swiftly replaced by another John: Malkovich. The film stars Bruce Willis as a former CIA agent whose bucolic life is shattered when an assassin shows up intent on killing him. Reilly was set to play one of Willis’ former colleagues who is constantly paranoid that everyone is out to kill him.

Malkovich’s reps were quick to point out in the release that his participation in this film, which is scheduled to begin production later this month in Toronto, would not preclude him from a possible role in SPIDER-MAN 4 (so don’t read too much into that). In addition to Willis, Malkovich joins an impressive cast that includes Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren, Mary-Louise Parker and Brian Cox. I’d be slightly more excited about this film but I haven’t previously been thrilled by the films of director Robert Schwentke (FLIGHTPLAN, THE TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE).