The director Roman Polanski is making headlines all over the world as he’s detained in Switzerland on a U.S. extradition charge, so his career and future projects must be on hold for the moment while he sorts through his legal problems.

Polanski recently finished filming a movie called “The Ghost,” starring Pierce Brosnan, Ewan McGregor and Kim Cattrall. The thriller was shot in Germany even though its setting is Massachusetts; obviously Polanski had to improvise on the scenery, as setting foot in the U.S. would result in his automatic arrest.

Polanski was finishing post-production on “The Ghost” when he traveled to Zurich over the weekend, where his unexpected arrest took place. One of the producers said Polanski has completed a rough cut of the film, but where it goes from here is anybody’s guess.

“The Ghost” is based on an adaptation of a novel by Robert Harris that centers on a ghostwriter hired to complete the memoirs of a former British prime minister, played by Brosnan, who is the target of a war crimes indictment. 

To see stills from the movie, and a short trailer which looks fascinating, visit the film’s Web site at theghost-romanpolanski.com. 

“The Ghost” was due for release sometime next year. A U.S. distributor had not yet been lined up.

Brosnan had expressed delight at working with Polanski when the project was announced earlier this year.

For his part, Harris is infuriated with Polanski’s arrest. Saying he was “shocked and stunned,” the British novelist added, "It strikes me as disgusting treatment."