James McAvoy is replacing Joaquin Phoenix in M. Night Shyamalan‘s new feature project, TheWrap has learned.
Phoenix and Shyamalan were to reunite on this project after having previously worked together on 2002’s “Signs” and 2004’s “The Village.” Shyamalan is also reuniting with producer Jason Blum, with whom he worked on Universal’s horror film “The Visit.”
The project is set to begin production in November in Philadelphia, and the plot is being kept under wraps.
Marc Bienstock is also producing, with Ashwin Rajan and Steven Schneider serving as executive producers.
McAvoy is best known for his role as Charles Xavier in the “X-Men” franchise. His credits also include “The Last King of Scotland,” “Atonement” and “Wanted.”
Upcoming projects for McAvoy include “Victor Frankenstein,” set to hit theaters Nov. 25, and “X-Men: Apocalypse,” set for a May 2016 release.
McAvoy is repped by UTA and United Agents.