The film company 20th Century Fox is currently undergoing some changes with the departure of Co-Chairman Tom Rothman, who was forced out of his job, according to a LA Times article that sites an unnamed source with knowledge of the situation who was not authorized to speak publicly. Rothman's contract was set to expire in March 2014.
Now the studio might need a new director for "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes," a sequel to the 2011 science fiction film "Rise of the Planet of the Apes." The movie website Deadline is reporting that "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" director Rupert Wyatt is departing from the film due to Fox's announced release date of May 23, 2014.
Fox has yet to confirm the report, but Deadline is speculating that Fox could go with a better-known director for the sequel. If Wyatt does leave the series, Fox would still have plenty of time to search for a new director.
"Rise of the Planet of the Apes" debuted to $54.8 million on its opening weekend, making it the number one film for that weekend as well as the fourth highest-grossing August opening ever. The film grossed $481 million worldwide.
The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. It was also nominated for five Saturn Awards and winning Best Science Fiction Film, Best Supporting Actor for Serkis and Best Special Effects.
Andy Serkis's performance as the ape Caesar was widely acclaimed. Roger Ebert said of Serkis' Caesar, "one never knows exactly where the human ends and the effects begin, but Serkis and or Caesar gives the best performance in the movie."
Watch the trailer for "Rise of the Planet of The Apes" below...
