Aniston film’s director ousted

Warner Bros. has abruptly replaced directors and temporarily stopped production on its big-budget, untitled romantic comedy starring Jennifer Aniston that is based on the seminal 1967 film “The Graduate.”

Director Ted Griffin, a noted screenwriter who was making his debut behind the camera, was ousted only 10 days into filming and will be replaced by veteran director Rob Reiner, according to Hollywood’s two trade papers, Daily Variety and the Hollywood Reporter. The production’s woes were first reported on the Internet website Aint-It-Cool-News. A spokesman for Warner Bros. could not be reached for comment on deadline.

According to reports, Griffin, whose writing credits include “Matchstick Men” and the remake of “Ocean’s Eleven,” was removed due to creative differences. Citing unnamed sources, the trades reported that Griffin came under criticism for spending too much time on shots with his cinematographer instead of the actors, lighting of the actresses became an issue, and Aniston complained that the dailies didn’t seem to have the right comic tone.

The film revolves around a young woman played by Aniston who discovers that her grandmother, played by Shirley MacLaine, was the inspiration for the character of Mrs. Robinson in “The Graduate.” Aniston’s costars include Kevin Costner, Mark Ruffalo, Greta Scacchi and Mena Suvari.

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Robert W. Welkos