Well, we were once pretty excited for David Cronenberg‘s “Cosmopolis,” but with the cast being switched out wholesale, our expectations have diminished. With Robert Pattinson replacing Colin Farrell earlier in the month, it suddenly didn’t make much sense to have the previously attached female Marion Cotillard still on board to play his wife (she’s ten years his senior). And so no surprise, it looks like she’s been replaced too.

The eagle eyes over at the the Cosmopolis fansite noticed an interesting update at the Alfama Films website. The production company is now listing Keira Knightley as part of the cast and considering there is only one female role in the film, it looks like she has gone ahead and replaced Marion Cotillard in the movie. Update: a rep for Marion Cotillard tells us she indeed had to leave the project because of a scheduling conflict. Perhaps that “conflict” is her upcoming baby (she’s pregnant), but either way, she’s not in the picture anymore.

Based on Don DeLillo‘s book of the same name, the film follows 24 hours in the life of a newly married billionaire Eric Packer (Pattinson) as he cheats on his wife, is pursued by a stalker, gets attacked by a protester and gradually loses his entire fortune over the course of a single day. Knightley would play his wife, and considering they are only a year apart in age, it makes a lot of sense. Paul Giamatti, who was in talks for the film late last year for a role as one of the stalkers pursuing the billionaire, is noticeably missing from the cast list. Perhaps he’s been put off from the recent casting changes and has decided to move on as it’s a considerable step down going from working with Farrell and Cotillard to uh, Pattinson and Knightley.

It’s a bit of a shame really because the premise is really exciting, but we’re just not convinced that Pattinson has the steel to pull off the role and carry the film. As for Knightley, she could do fine in the film and as she spent the summer shooting the period-based “A Dangerous Method” with Cronenberg (alongside Michael Fassbender and Viggo Mortensen), she and the director clearly got on so well that they are eager to work together again. But overall, the casting is simply less energizing to us that what it started out with.

Official word is likely to be along shortly as the film gears up to shoot in May in Toronto and New York City.