Oscar-winning film director Sydney Pollack has withdrawn from his latest project because of illness.
The 73-year-old, who won Academy Awards for Out of Africa, was due to start work on the political drama Recount in the autumn.
The film explores the lives of ordinary people caught up in the ballot recounts in Florida at the end of the 2000 US presidential race.
The details of the film-maker's illness have not been revealed.
Pollack's representative, Leslie Dart, said: "He's got some medical issues. He's not feeling well right now. It would be unrealistic for him to go into production right away."
Executive role
Pollack will be replaced by Jay Roach, who directed comedies Meet the Parents and the Austin Powers films.
A spokeswoman for producers HBO, which plans to screen the film in 2008, said Pollack would remain part the project as one of its executive producers.
Known for directing films including Three Days of the Condor and The Firm, Pollack most recently filmed The Interpreter with Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn.
He earned Oscar nominations for directing Dustin Hoffman in the cross-dressing comedy Tootsie, in which Pollack himself played Hoffman's agent.
Pollack, who has acted in several films and TV shows, made a guest appearance in the final series of The Sopranos.
^ Back to top | BBC Sport Home | BBC Homepage | Contact us | Help | ©
~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~02~RS~)