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Superstar-in-turnaround Jim Carrey, whom you undoubtedly remember recently had two high-profile projects shelved because of studios' reasonable fears of the budget overruns associated with the daily filming of two-hour improvisations centered on shiny props with which the actor might become fascinated, has left his latest project (along with co-star Cameron Diaz and director Gabriele Muccino, to be fair), A Little Game Without Consequence, just about two weeks before the planned start of filming. Variety writes the film's likely obituary, citing the usual "creative differences" as the cause of death:

Both actors joined the project — an adaptation of a French play about a couple plagued by breakup rumors — in July, subject to a rewrite that would address problems each thesp had with the third act. Schamus helped guide Muccino through that rewrite, but the resulting draft took the comedy in a direction that prompted the actors to bail. [...]

"Cameron is no longer part of the project, but we're still hoping to make this movie with Jim," she said. "Right now, we are regrouping but still planning to move forward with the movie. We'll play with the dates, but the intent is to shoot it before Christmas." [...]

Muccino's exit makes a return for either thesp unlikely. Reps for both have put out word that they're available for other projects.

We think we're already starting to see new agency CAA's strategy for resuscitating Carrey's currently stalled career. Rather than wait around for studios to cruelly yank a beloved project out from under their client, they're encouraging him to walk out on them first, hoping that his unexpected unavailability will drive future suitors wild with desire. And if the distant, hard-to-get plan doesn't work, they'll probably have to reverse course once again, sending out a boozed-up Carrey to cry himself to sleep on a procession of executives' doorsteps, hoping that one of them will be allured by the crazy/desperate approach.