Marketa Irglova has backed out Darkness, a new film from veteran Czech director Juraj Herz, which began shooting this week.

Lenka Krobotova (Karamazovi) replaces Irglova, who will spend the time on a concert tour with Once co-star and recording-artist partner Glen Hansard. Krobotova will star opposite Ivan Franek.

Shooting is taking place in the western part of the Czech Republic and will last two months. The film will see its premiere in summer 2009.

Herz's most recent film was Pasaz in 1997. His romantic film Day For My Love screened in competition in Berlin in 1977, but he is known at home for horror films like like Cremator (1968) and Ferat Vampire (1981).

Darkness marks his return to his beloved genre. Speaking with Czech daily Mlada fronta Dnes, Herz said he had planned to make four more horror films after Cremator but wasn't allowed to do so. 'Children were running crying from the cinema,' he said. 'I've waited years to get back to [horror films] - now I'm happy.'