An Oscar Winner and an Oscar Nominee Bail on KONG: SKULL ISLAND

Adding Michael Keaton and JK Simmons to the cast of your movie is cause for celebration, especially after Keaton was nominated for an Oscar and Simmons won an Oscar this past awards season. On the flip side, watching both actors bail on your movie is never a good thing.

Universal Pictures and Legendary Pictures are dealing with exactly that issue now, with Deadline reporting on Wednesday that both Keaton and Simmons have left Kong: Skull Island. According to Deadline, production on the King Kong prequel had been pushed back a few weeks, causing scheduling issues for the two actors.

Tom Hiddleston is still on board as Kong: Skull Island's lead and The Kings of Summer director Jordan Vogt-Roberts will helm the movie. Deadline reports that Universal and Legendary will look to recast the roles vacated by Keaton and Simmons.

Kong: Skull Island is still on pace for a March 10, 2017, release date.