Deadline is reporting tonight that Josh Trank will no longer direct the Star Wars spinoff film that he had been attached to for nearly a year now. No specific reason was given for his departure, but the following statement was issued:
“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,” said Josh Trank today. “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,” he added.
“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 also commented on Trank’s departure in a post on the Star Wars website.
“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.”
At this time, there’s no word on who the studio is eyeing to replace Trank on the Star Wars spinoff, but as always, we’ll keep you posted as more news arises.