Director Rupert Wyatt May Step Down from 'Dawn of the Planet of Apes'

Rise of the Planet of the Apes was one of the biggest surprises at the movies last year, resurrecting a franchise, putting Andy Serkis on the verge of an Oscar nomination for a motion-capture role and grossing $176.76 million at the domestic box office. Fox greenlight a sequel and scheduled Dawn of the Planet of the Apes for a May 23, 2014, release. And that's where there might be a problem ...

It seems that, according to a Deadline report, director Rupert Wyatt may leave the film after feeling that the studio was rushing him to hit a target date. The Deadline report compares this to Gary Ross turning down Catching Fire, the sequel to The Hunger Games, after deciding that Lionsgate wasn't leaving him enough time to properly carry out the project. Francis Lawrence, who directed I Am Legend, stepped in after Ross stepped down.

If Wyatt does leave, what becomes of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes? Can Fox still expect that May 23, 2014, date to be realistic?

After the success of Rise of the Planet of the Apes, I can't imagine that Fox would any trouble finding a new director to replace Wyatt if he does leave the film. I would be worried, though, about the quality of the film without Wyatt. Rise of the Planet of the Apes wasn't anything gloss to a sure thing, and it took Wyatt's guiding hand along with a strong script and the greatest motion-capture performance in cinema history to make the reboot/prequel a success. When looking for a new director, Fox better look for someone who wants to carry on that success, not just make any random movie.

No Brett Ratner. Got that, Fox? GOT THAT, FOX? NO. BRETT. RATNER.