I think it’s fair to say that life officially sucks for Wesley Snipes now. First the former mega-star moved from hot to not, with a recent deluge of direct-to-DVD movies. Then there was that whole business about not paying income tax properly. Now the actor is being replaced in what could have been a prominent return to the screen. See where tax evasion gets you, kiddies?

Variety is reporting that Snipes has had to pass up the lead role in Spike Lee’s upcoming World War II drama, Miracle at St. Anna. Instead Derek Luke will take the lead. Luke is best known for playing the title role of Antwone Fisher, although more recently he’s been in Redford’s Lions for Lambs, which means he’s no stranger to military dramas.

Although the tax evasion is the easy joke, it actually really is the reason for Snipes having to pass on the potentially-career reviving role. Lee is filming his World War II drama in Italy and Snipes isn’t currently in a position to leave the country. The actor was forced to turn his passport over earlier this year after the whole misunderstanding with his South African travel. Of course, that was partially due to Snipes using a fake passport, so who knows where his real one is.

Derek Luke will play a member of the U.S. Army’s 92nd Division, which was an all-black unit that had four men separated from their squad behind enemy lines. After dealing with poor treatment and racism, the four main characters find a more hospitable environment in the small village of St. Anna. The picture’s cast includes John Turturro, James Gandolfini, Michael Ealy, Omar Benson and Tory Kittles. Expect Snipes to cry when the film garners serious attention, especially if he hasn’t found a way out of making movies like The Contractor by then.