People often fault Keanu Reeves for being a bit of a stiff, wooden actor – someone who doesn’t necessarily show a lot of emotion aside from his classic catchphrase, "Whoa." But perhaps the dude is looking to change all that, as the Hollywood Reporter tells us Reeves has signed on to star in a modern retelling of the classic novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
The new film, simply called Jekyll, will be written by Justin Haythe (Revolutionary Road) and most likely follow the exploits of a doctor who creates an evil version of himself. More specific plot details are being kept under wraps right now, though we do know that Jekyll is one of two similar ongoing projects at Universal – with the other being developed by Guillermo Del Toro, who aims to stick more closely to Robert Louis Stevenson’s source material. THR says the Del Toro version is still a long way from reaching the screen (since the writer-director must first tackle The Hobbit, among other things), and so both films will arrive in theaters with plenty of distance between.
What do you think of Keanu Reeves playing this kind of role? Is he a good man for the job? Does he have the acting chops needed to play such a strange, dynamic and challenging character? Sound off below…
