Philip Seymour Hoffman Out, Vincent Cassel In for 'Child 44'

The marriage between Vincent Cassel and Monica Bellucci isn't exactly tabloid fodder here in America, but it was a pretty big deal on the international rag scene. Note the use of the past tense "was", because only a few days ago it was revealed they had split after first meeting back in 1996. And as any guy knows, the best way to move on past something like this (especially from someone as gorgeous as Bellucci) is to keep your mind busy, and that's what Cassell is doing by taking on two prominent films, including the eagerly anticipated Child 44.

Deadline reports that Cassell will replace the previously cast Philip Seymour Hoffman in Child 44, Daniel Espinosa's adaptation of the Cold War era novel by Tom Rob Smith. No word was given as to why Hoffman stepped down, but one can hardly complain about Cassel taking his place. He joins Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace, Gary Oldman, Jason Clarke, Joel Kinnaman, and Paddy Considine in the film which follows a disgraced MGB agent in 1950s Soviet Union. His investigation into a serial killer who targets children turns up disturbing clues that point to the very top of Stalin's regime.

Cassel has also come aboard Partisan, the feature debut by Ariel Kleinman that was announced earlier this year. He'll play Gregori, a charismatic cult leader who has raised a communal family on his lavish compound, only to have an 11-year-old boy begin to question his teachings.