Last week it was announced that Keanu Reeves would star in Nicolas Winding Refn’s Jekyll, the Justin Haythe-scripted modern day retelling of The Strange Case of Jekyll and Mr. Hyde for Universal Pictures. Apparently there is another Jekyll and Hyde movie in development. King of New York/Bad Lutenant director Abel Ferrara is moving forward with his contemporary reimagining of Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1886 classic novella.

This second project is retitled Jekyll and Hyde. Forest Whitaker and 50 Cent have been cast in the title roles, which sets the project apart from the Refn version as Reeves is set to play both personalities. UK production company Independent is producing, and the film will begin production in late Summer 2009.

The original novella tells the tale of a “London lawyer who investigates strange occurrences between his old friend, Dr. Henry Jekyll, and the misanthropic Mr. Edward Hyde.” The story is best known for its portrayal of split personality, good vs. evil, and coining the popular phrase “Jekyll and Hyde”. The book has been adapted for film, tv and stage over 123 times.

Also of note, Guillermo del Toro also has an adaptation in development titled Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. It’s a more traditional take set in a gothic horror setting closer to the source material. But with del Toro’s busy schedule, I doubt we might ever see that film go into production, and if we ever do, it is likely to be 10-15 years down the line.