2 Depart Unchained

Both Sacha Baron Cohen and Kurt Russell have apparently had to bow out of making cameos in Quentin Tarantino's "Django Unchained" says The Film Stage.

The spaghetti western style film follows a a German dentist-turned bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz) and freed slave Django (Jamie Foxx) seek to free Django's wife (Kerry Washington) from her powerful owner Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio).

Cohen confirmed he wasn't able to cameo due to his commitment to "The Dictator" press tour. The reason for Russell's departure is unknown--he himself replaced  Kevin Costner.

Both roles are likely to be cut rather than recast.

Samuel L. Jackson will play Stephen, an expert manipulator and house slave of the plantation owner.Dennis Christopher will play Leo Moguy, who serves as lawyer to Candie. Laura Cayouette will play the widowed sister of Candie M.C. Gainey will play the villainous role of Big John Brittle. His character does some not very nice things to Django’s wife, Broomhilda Don Johnson will play a wealthy southern plantation owner who Django and Schultz meet in their pursuit of a bounty Industry make up guru Tom Savini plays another Brittle brother. Gerald McRaney and Anthony Lapaglia also star. Rapper/actor RZA AKA Robert Diggs will portray Thaddeus, a violent slave toiling away at a Mississiippi plantation. Misty Upham will play Minnie, who owns a trading post/bar.James Remar will play “Ace Speck, who purchases Django at the Greenville Slave Auction Tom Wopat‘s portraying Marshall Gill Tatum Todd Allen will appear as “plantation overseer Dollar Bill.” James Russo is without a specified part. Rex Linn plays the role of "Tennessee Harry" Cooper Huckabee is the last of the Brittle brothers, the redneck outlaws who sell off Django and Broomhilda. Michael K. Williams, Zoë Bell and Danièle Watts co star.

Production is underway to meet a December 25, 2012. release date