John Travolta replaced by Ben Stiller in new Dallas movie

John Travolta has been dumped from the upcoming Dallas movie - and replaced by Ben Stiller, it was claimed today.

But the Grease star was still handed a seven-figure sum for his work on the project, sources said.

Travolta was set to play Texas oil baron J.R Ewing in the big screen remake of the popular 1980s television show. Jennifer Lopez has also been linked to the project, which has been in the works for several years.

An insider said: "John was given a nice seven-figure 'gift' to go away quietly. "He also got five family members roles in the movie, and they aren't going to be in it now, either.

"He was let go about two weeks ago. He had the role of J.R. Ewing taken from him and given to Ben Stiller."

A friend of Travolta told a US newspaper: "He is not doing the movie. "They've gone in a different direction than was originally intended.

"I don't know about any 'gift,' and I don't think the family member thing is correct."

A spokesman for Travolta, 53, who has just landed a Golden Globe nomination for his cross-dressing turn in movie musical Hairspray, declined to comment.

A spokesman for Zoolander star Stiller denied the actor had been offered the part of Ewing.

In the past Shirley MacLaine, Luke Wilson and Meg Ryan and Matthew McConaughey have all also been touted as possible cast members for the troubled flick, which is now expected to be released in 2009.

The film is now expected to be a "comedic, behind-the-scenes" movie instead of the originally intended drama, it was reported.

Bend It Like Beckham director was replaced by Betty Thomas earlier this year.

And producers decided the movie needed "more laughs" and called for an entirely new, slapstick script and was rewritten as "a 'show-within-a-show' comedy."

A spokesperson for 20th Century Fox declined to comment.