Why Rupert Wyatt walked away from Gambit and several other studio films

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

2 weeks ago it was announced that director Rupert Wyatt (THE GAMBLER, RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES) had walked away from 20th Century Fox's GAMBIT film due to conflicts with another project. Makes sense given that production was moved from this fall to March of next year, but that may not have been the whole story. At least, not for Rupert Wyatt.

The Hollywood Reporter has a few sources that cite while Wyatt is "a talented guy," who "shows up. He comes early. He stays late. He's got good ideas," he may be more than ambivalent about some of the projects he approaches. Much like his brush with the PLANET OF THE APES sequel and THE EQUALIZER, Wyatt has come close to directing a film only to leave when he feels his grasp on the material slipping. It's no secret that a larger budget means more opinions to heed, so it's possible that he's just not comfortable taking on that responsibility.

As we've seen time and time again, Hollywood is willing to give up-and-comers a shot at a franchise, but the results are more FANTASTIC FOUR than JURASSIC WORLD. As far as Wyatt is concerned, I have to give props to the man for just letting things lie rather than forcing himself to finish a project that he feels he won't have control of. Film's are a collaborative effort, but I fear that too many cooks enter the kitchen when a strong director isn't on-board. As a great man once said, "Don't half-ass two things. Whole-ass one thing."