Spielberg has decided not to direct the remake of the film, which was set for release in 2011.
20th Century Fox hired the director in hopes of shooting next year, reported Variety.
Harvey is a film adaptation of the play by Mary Chase, who won the Pulitzer Prize in 1944. In 1950, the first film debuted, starring James Stewart in the eccentric role of Elwood P. Dowd, who maintains a relationship with an invisible six-foot rabbit friend.
Spielberg had a hard time finding an actor. Naturally, his first choice was the quirky and talented actor, Tom Hanks, with whom he filmed The Terminal (2004), Catch Me If You Can (2002) and Saving Private Ryan (1998). However, Hanks wasn’t interested in taking on the role.
Next, 20th Century Fox and Spielberg considered Robert Downey Jr., but the actor never signed on. Moreover, the director apparently didn’t share the same vision for the screenplay as the studio, thus prompting him to back out. 20th Century Fox has given up on trying to convince the director to make the film.
Spielberg just wrapped up filming The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn, which will hit theatres on December 23, 2011. For now, it remains a mystery as to what he will get his hands on next, but we do know that the sci-fi film Interstellar is on the table.