June 12, 2001
"Die Hard" director John McTiernan has dropped out of the Catherine Zeta-Jones/Michael Doulgas project "Smoke And Mirrors," Variety reports.

The period piece, about a magician and his assistant's adventures exposing a fraud shaman whose "magical" deeds foment anti-colonial rebellion, was to be directed by McTiernan, who was previously said to be close to signing on a deal.

But Variety said McTiernan, who is currently in post-production on his remake of Norman Jewison's "Rollerball," dropped out of the project over "insurmountable business differences."

Douglas and Zeta-Jones' first pairing since their marriage, "Traffic," has just been released on DVD. McTiernan's "Rollerball" opens on Aug. 17.