Alright, so here’s the deal. Remember when Oliver Stone was developing an Alexander movie at the same time as Baz Luhrmann? You know, the other one was going to have Leonardo DiCaprio as Alexander, Nicole Kidman as his mother, and Mel Gibson as Ptolmey? The one that actually could have been a good movie? Well that film got shafted when Oliver Stone got his picture into production first… and we all know how that story ended. This was going to be a story about how Keanu Reeves has been cast as the lead in a new adaptation of the classic novel The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. This is what was known as of yesterday:

Universal Pictures is developing a modern retelling of the classic novella “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” with Keanu Reeves attached to star and Justin Haythe (Revolutionary Road) penning the script.

The Hollywood Reporter says Nicolas Winding Refn is in negotiations to direct the project, titled Jekyll. It is being produced by Erwin Stoff and Red Wagon Entertainment’s Douglas Wick and Lucy Fisher.

While plot details for this film are being kept under wraps, Robert Louis Stevenson’s tale–about a doctor who scientifically develops an evil self–has been adapted many times before for the big screen and stage.

So that sounds like it could be fun, you know, have Keanu try to stretch beyond his usual range of emotion for the first time since Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure… Then this happens:

Abel Ferrara is also re-imagining Robert Louis Stevenson’s “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” as a contemporized film titled Jekyll and Hyde.

Forest Whitaker and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson are attached to play the lead roles in the classic tale about a doctor who invents a potion that unleashes his violent alter ego.

Can I be the first one to say “Oh, come on?” Really? Oscar winning actor, as a split personality… with a rap artist? If push comes to shove, and this one actually goes into production first, I hope Jekyll creams it at the box office. This is just embarrassing. I mean honestly, who actually puts money into making these movies? They’re just killing me… News blurbs courtesy of ComingSoon.net.