Josh Trank Will No Longer Direct The Second Star Wars Spin-Off Film

During the Star Wars Anthology panel at Star Wars Celebration, Anaheim, a lot of questions were raised when director Josh Trank failed to show up as scheduled with Rogue One director Gareth Edwards. Reports said that he claims to have a flu, but it seems that there's more to the story.

The official statement posted in Starwars.com announced that Trank will no longer direct the second standalone Star Wars film. Here's the statement that was made:

Josh Trank, who was attached to direct the second Star Wars Anthology film, has decided to depart the project.

Trank said, "After a year of having the incredible honor of developing with the wonderful and talented people at Lucasfilm, I'm making a personal decision to move forward on a different path. I've put a tremendous amount of thought into this, and I know deep down in my heart that I want to pursue some original creative opportunities. That said, the Star Wars universe has always been one of my biggest influences, and I couldn't be more excited to witness its future alongside my millions of fellow Star Wars fans. I want to thank my friends Kathleen Kennedy, Kiri Hart, Simon Kinberg, and everyone at Lucasfilm and Disney for the amazing opportunity to have been a part of this. May the Force be with you all."

Lucasfilm VP of Development Kiri Hart said "It was a privilege to collaborate with Josh. We are grateful for the energy and love of Star Wars that he brought to the process, and we wish him all the best."

The Star Wars team is continuing to develop the project.

That sounds like a polite departure, but a report from Hollywood Reporter suggests that things weren't going well behind the scenes. According to the article, Trank was most likely terminated because of his "unusual conduct" while filming Fantastic Four:

Trank, 30, had raised eyebrows in April when he didn't appear as scheduled at a Star Wars celebration in Anaheim. At the time, both Disney and the director cited illness as the cause but multiple knowledgeable sources say the studio had asked the filmmaker not to attend while considering whether to proceed with him on the second spinoff in a planned series of films.

Indeed, producers on Fantastic Four, set for release July 30, are said to have faced great challenges pulling the film together given behavior described by one insider as "erratic" and at times "very isolated." Trank did not offer clear direction, this person adds, saying, "If you've got someone who can't answer questions or who isn't sure or is in hiding, that's not good."

A Fox spokesman says the studio is "very happy with the movie and we can't wait for audiences to see it" but acknowledges, "There were definitely some bumps in the road."

Among those bumps: Trank has several small dogs who were left in a rented house in New Orleans while the film was shooting there. According to sources, as much as $100,000 worth of damage was done to the property. A source says the production considers any destruction of the property to be Trank's responsibility.

The article included sources that called Trank "sometimes indecisive and uncommunicative" and reported that Fantastic Four, which comes out in theaters on July 30, was undergoing reshoots as rececently as late April. Trank thanked Kinberg in the statement, but as the source from Hollywood Reporter notes:

Kinberg, who is producing the secondStar Warsstandalone project (the first,Rogue One, is being directed byGareth Edwardsfor a December 2016 release), is said to have communicated his displeasure with Trank toKathleen Kennedyand the team at Lucasfilm. As theStar Warsbrain trust heard more about Trank's behavior and working style, they became less confident in handing over the film to him.

So now the studio is looking for a new director to take over the second Star Wars Anthology film. Who do you think they should choose?