Movie fans the world over were saddened to hear of the passing of filmmaker Robert Altman ... but what will become of the project the director was working on at the time of his death?

From Variety: "The death Monday of Robert Altman has put into jeopardy Picturehouse's feature based on the 1997 docu "Hands on a Hard Body," which Altman was to direct and produce.

Altman and screenwriter Stephen Harrigan were calling agents as recently as last weekend over possible casting attachments for the pic, which was set to go into production in early 2007. But the project is now in doubt.

Picturehouse topper Bob Berney said that while no official decision has been made, the fact that the auteur had a particular vision for his pics would make it tricky to transfer "Hard Body" to another director.

"It's going to be very tough," Berney told Daily Variety. "This was conceived as a Robert Altman film, and I'm not sure there can be any other way to do it."