With word that Fox CEO Tom Rothman is stepping down, it seems that he might be taking RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES director, Rupert Wyatt with him.
They didn’t have a pact or anything, insiders state that Wyatt was uncomfortable slapping something together and getting it ready by May 23, 2014. Fair enough.
Why would Fox let go of such a good thing? The coupling of Wyatt and the first film worked so well. The studio likes the script that Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver turned in, which will have the apes taking full control. What to do now? Will they find someone else to take the job if he really does drop the project? Or will they try to get new head, Jim Gianopulos to woo Wyatt back? Unless they bend on that release date it may not be likely.
A film like this does certainly need some time to get right, especially with so many special effects (mainly mo-cap) involved. Wyatt had to drop helming duties on LONDONGRAD for the RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES sequel. LONDONGRAD stars Michael Fassbender as, “Alexander Litvinenko, the former KGB spy who was poisoned in 2006 with polonium-210.” This is probably also his way of getting back at them, or not since it was his decision. Regardless on whether he takes the sequel, Wyatt still has a job directing AGENT 13 with Charlize Theron. Good on him.