French First Lady Carla Bruni is reportedly being cut out of Woody Allen's movie Midnight in Paris.
Bruni has allegedly been replaced by a far younger look-alike Lea Seydoux, who has already been hired to re-shoot all of her scenes.
"The American director has taken the precaution of filming the First Lady's scenes with someone else," The Daily Mail quoted a movie insider as telling celebrity Paris website Bakchich.info.
Bruni was the centre of attention and amusement when she took dozens of takes to perform a few simple dramatic tasks during the shoot, even when all she had to do was walk in and out of a bread shop while saying nothing, and then carrying a small baguette while looking serious.
And now with 25-year-old Seydoux on the scene, Bruni's dream of starring alongside Owen Wilson and Marion Cotillard, the remaining star cast of this film, is more or less over.
"While there's obvious novelty value in getting France's first lady to carry a baguette around Paris, Lea is a far better actress. She'll get people flowing into the cinemas, which in the end is what a professional film is all about," said a film industry source.
{{/usCountry}}"While there's obvious novelty value in getting France's first lady to carry a baguette around Paris, Lea is a far better actress. She'll get people flowing into the cinemas, which in the end is what a professional film is all about," said a film industry source.
{{/usCountry}}Besides that, Seydoux would cost the director a lot lesser. She is also a much safer bet than Bruni, because she has already proved her acting skills in Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Basterds before getting a leading role in Ridley Scott's Robin Hood.
Bruni meanwhile, has admitted she could well be a 'terrible' actress; even though she wants to one day tell her grandchildren that she appeared in a Woody Allen film.
A representative for Seydoux, however, tells France's Voici magazine that she was just added to the cast and Bruni is still doing the film.
(With inputs from Hollywood Reporter)