'Inferno' director calls re-casting 'a great decision'

As Lindsay Lohan attempts to keep her name out of the headlines, "Inferno" director Matthew Wilder is still chatting about the actress, admitting he's relieved the troubled star is no longer starring in his biopic of porn star Linda Lovelace.

“I feel like 16 tons of weight are off my mind not having to deal with the Lindsay Lohan situation,” Wilder tells Radar Online. “We have not heard anything from Lindsay and her camp recently but we wish her and them well."

Earlier this month, "Inferno" producer Chris Hanley announced that after many costly delays, "Watchmen" star Malin Akerman would replace 24-year-old Lohan, who is undergoing rehabilitation at the Betty Ford Center through January.

"Lindsay had scheduling issues due to legal obligations and is continuing to focus on getting better in rehabilitation in Palm Springs, and she really had to focus on that in our opinion - and hers," said Hanley. "For herself and her career in general it was really her decision to just focus on getting better psychologically."

For his part, Wilder – who hopes to begin production on "Inferno" in February - believes Lohan will come back stronger than ever. "I still think she has great talent and if she respects those gifts then she will go on to show people what she is capable of doing,” he says.

As for 32-year-old Akerman, Wilder says, "I love working with her, she is sensitive and hard-working, and I think it’s a great decision for our project."