Ray Winstone Replaces De Niro In ‘Edge Of Darkness’

Last week saw Robert De Niro walk off the set of Martin Campbell’s Edge Of Darkness after just two days due to “creative differences.” But his replacement has already been found, and he takes the form of British actor Ray Winstone, who is said to be in negotiations to take over De Niro’s role.

De Niro was, and Winstone is, set to play the part of an operative sent to clean up evidence after the murder of a woman. Mel Gibson plays the detective investigating the murder, with the victim being his daughter. He is obviously keen to uncover the truth of his daughter’s death.

De Niro walking out is a massive blow to this film, as rightly or wrongly, he brings a certain gravitas to any project he is involved in. However, I actually believe Winstone is a better actor, and while he doesn’t have the box office draw that De Niro does, will be able to step in to his shoes very comfortably indeed.

Edge Of Darkness is based on a 1985 British mini-series of the same name, which ran for 6 episodes. Filming began on August 18th, with the film due to be released sometime in 2009. The big question is: how much will the loss of De Niro affect the success of the project?