Steven Seagal Leaves Jean Claude Van Damme's "Weap...

One month ago, we reported that Jean Claude Van Damme signed on to star in "Weapon," opposite Steven Seagal. This came as a surprise to fans, since Van Damme turned down the opportunity to star in Sylvester Stallone's "The Expendables."

Now, THR is reporting that Seagal is no longer part of the film, having been replaced by Vinnie Jones (X-Men 3). Whether the filmmakers believed that Jones is a better fit or whether Seagal wanted no part of this likely direct-to-DVD release is unknown.

In the movie, Jones will play a master sharpshooter while Van Damme's character is skilled with a knife. The two join forces to take down the head of a drug cartel, backed by the DEA.

"Weapon" is directed by Russell Mulcahy (Highlander, Resident Evil: Extinction) and is set to begin filming in August.