Hugh Jackman slips Houdini role

AFTER five years working on a Broadway musical about showman Harry Houdini, Hugh Jackman has walked away from the project.

Australian actor Hugh Jackman

HUGH Jackman has pulled off his own escape act from the planned Broadway musical Houdini.

The Australian actor has been attached to the stage show for five years, but cited scheduling demands for his exit.

The show, about the late-1890s to early-1900s illusionist and escape artist Harry Houdini, was expected to be Tony Award-winning Jackman's latest Broadway hit after performing The Boy from Oz, A Steady Rain, and Hugh Jackman, Back on Broadway in New York.

Wicked's composer Stephen Schwartz was also attached.

"I have greatly enjoyed the collaborative process on Houdini," Jackman, who won a Tony Award for best actor in a musical in 2004 for The Boy from Oz, said in a statement.

"Ultimately, though, I wasn't able to commit to the time this role will require.

"I have tremendous respect and admiration for the creative team and I wish everyone the best."

Jackman told AAP in September that he was looking to winding down his schedule and spending more time with his family after shooting four films back-to-back.

Houdini is set to premiere next year.

Dropping out of Houdini raises the chances of Jackman making another Wolverine film, a franchise that helped the Australian become the third-highest earning actor in Hollywood in 2013 with an estimated $US55 million ($A61.70 million).

"Hugh has been terrific to have on this part of our journey," Houdini producer Scott Sanders said.

"We will continue to move forward with our remarkable creative team as they craft this ambitious new musical."