Fresh of his appearance in 2008's updated The Day the Earth Stood Still, Keanu Reeves is going to explore his dark side in a new version of Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Everyone knows this classic novella and even if you’ve never read it, you know the story purely from the way the names have become shorthand for a split personality. Reeves is set to star as the lead character – the doctor who scientifically develops an evil self – in Universal's modern retelling of the story, titled Jekyll.
The project is being scripted by Justin Haythe, the BAFTA-nominated screenwriter of Revolutionary Road, and will be directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, the Danish filmmaker behind the Sundance hit Bronson and the 1996 Danish action crime thriller Pusher.
The story has been adapted for the screen and stage a number of times over the years, with several deviations including comedy, kids' stories (Jekyll and Heidi) and gender-switch tales (1995's Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde).
However, plot details for this Jekyll have not yet been revealed. And although Universal also seeks to make a version of this film with director Guillermo del Toro, the two films will be completely different, especially since Del Toro's version will follow the Stevenson tale more closely.
