Alison Pill Replacing Ellen Page In Jack & Diane

Once upon a time, the reunion of Juno playpals Ellen Page and Olivia Thirlby was set to be the werewolf romance Jack & Diane. Unfortunately, the filmmakers had difficulty getting the film going and, the last we heard about it, the project was delayed. At that point, Page said:

It's a drag that we, as of yet, haven't filmed it. But it will happen.

And indeed, it appears that it will – though, and rather sadly perhaps, without Ms. Page. According to the film's official website (found via After Ellen), the project is still "in development", though now Ellen is out, and Alison Pill is in, while Olivia Thirlby's involvement remains unchanged. Further corroborating this report, Paste also filed on the film today:

[Director Bradley Rust] Gray is busy on Jack and Diane, a picture about two teenage girls who fall in love (expressed partially through a monstrous creature, earning it the early tag "the lesbian werewolf movie"). The film will have a special-effects budget and animation, a first for Gray. "It's going to be gross and scary," he says.

We can raise conjecture all night as to why Ellen Page is no longer on board, and we might even lament her departure till sunrise but the fact of the matter is, Alison Pill is more than capable of making a mighty fist of this.

We'll be seeing Pill in next year's Scott Pilgrim vs. The World as Kim Pine, drummer, ex-love of Pilgrim's and all round sassy frass. That should do her cool factor no end of good.

Also involved in Jack & Diane are some real FX, design and animation talents. Gabe Bartalos is designing the 'skinless beast' for the film, basing it upon a 'skinned polar bear head'. Further fantastical flourishes will come with the representation of 'the interior of Diane's body: a world of blood, hair and teeth which is brought to life by her blossoming sexuality'. These sequences will be animated by the peerless, inimitable Brothers Quay.

Perhaps Werewolves will be the next big thing in teen gothic horror romance, perhaps not. What is sure, however, is that Jack & Diane isn't going to be easily mistaken for one of the Twilight movies.

As a footnote, it is worth remembering that Ellen Page handed back her contract for Drag Me to Hell as it neared production, the role ultimately going to Alison Lohmann. Maybe she just doesn't like gore and grue? Or maybe she thinks she owes the Alisons of this world a favour?