Roman Polanski has left his forthcoming production of the epic drama "Pompeii" due to scheduling conflicts reports Screen Daily.

The director pulled out after Summit International indicated it may have to postpone principal photography in Europe next summer due to the possible industry strike.

Polanski's schedule does not allow him to accommodate an uncertain start date beyond 2008, despite having worked for nearly a year on the project's pre-production stage.

Based on Robert Harris' novel, Pompeii centres on a young engineer caught up in political intrigue as Mount Vesuvius is about to erupt.

Summit International is selling worldwide rights and is searching for a replacement director.