For the second time in a week, Joe Carnahan's White Jazz has hit a bum note.

First, Chris Pine ankled Jazz to star as Kirk in Star Trek XI; now, Entertainment Weekly is reporting that George Clooney has also left the project. According to EW, it's another case of bad timing:

Clooney, who is currently promoting Michael Clayton, shooting the Coen Bros.' Burn After Reading, and trying to finish his football movie, Leatherheads, is now too swamped to take on the role. "It just simply came down to scheduling," says Clooney's producing partner, Grant Heslov. "George continues to believe in the project and in Joe."

According to the EW report, White Jazz's future appears cloudy. It was originally set up at Warner Independent, but a studio spokesperson says the film is no longer on its slate. For Carnahan, however, it's full steam ahead. From the most recent post at Smokin' Joe Carnahan:

In the interest of keeping White Jazz going and my people working, we're in full pursuit of the man I feel is perfect to take over the role of Klein for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is his work ethic, which is unsurpassed.

I want this movie really, really bad. BAD and I'm willing to go to the ends of the earth to pull it off. I just couldn't wait any longer or push back. I need to make this thing ASAP. It's in my blood and my breath and now I need to blast it out into the world.

Source: Entertainment Weekly
Source: Smokin' Joe Carnahan