With Fox shakeup, is Rupert Wyatt out for Dawn of the Planet of the Apes?

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

The last we heard about DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, 20th Century Fox was entertaining the notion of incorporating time travel into the story. Well, they need to go back in time and find themselves a damn director!

Deadline is reporting that, in the wake of massive management shakeup, director of the 2010 hit RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, Rupert Wyatt, will not return for the sequel. The reason cited, not unlike Gary Ross for CATCHING FIRE, is that Wyatt didn’t feel comfortable delivering the film under such a close deadline of May 2014.

If this proves true, the scramble is on for Fox to find a replacement. No easy task, especially given the already announced release date of the film (5-23-14). Fox loves the script Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver (who wrote the first) delivered, and given the success of the RISE, the property has become one of the studio’s most important franchises. Can’t be f*ckin’ around on this one!

So what next for Fox? Who should they hire to direct DAWN? Should they keep Wyatt and simply bump the date? What says you?