After taking a stab at writing and directing Let Me In, Matt Reeves attached himself to helm a new version of The Twilight Zone for Warner Bros. Unlike the last Twilight Zone film, which consisted of multiple vignettes directed by a variety of filmmakers like Steven Spielberg, George Miller, and John Landis, this iteration would only have one director. However, it’s been a year since the announcement was made and the film is no closer to starting principal photography. As a result, Reeves is exiting the project.

Variety reports that with Reeves out as director, WB has sent out a directing assignment to find the right person to direct. No word yet on who received the assignment. There were no reported creative conflicts between the two parties, however, Reeves’ schedule played a huge part in his decision to leave The Twilight Zone remake. Reeves is currently attached to projects like The Passage, This Dark Endeavor, and The Invisible Woman, which leads us to an interesting development for Dawn of Planet of the Apes.

According to Deadline, Fox has put Reeves at the top of a shortlist of directors to helm the sequel. Other directors on Fox’s shortlist include: J Blakeson (The Disappearance of Alice Creed), Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (28 Weeks Later), Jeff Nichols (Take Shelter), Guillermo del Toro (Pacific Rim), Juan Antonio Bayona (The Impossible), and Rian Johnson (Looper).

The status of Reeves’ aforementioned films could affect his decision to direct Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. However, all three films are still – at least to our knowledge – in the development phase. I imagine if the status for the three films remains unchanged, Reeves will sign on to direct Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. But if Reeves does end up passing on the film, Fox will surely be calling the aforementioned names until they find the right person for the job. Don’t hold your breath on Del Toro directing the sequel, he’s too busy working on converting Pacific Rim into 3D.

As to who could be directing The Twilight Zone, that remains a mystery. Rupert Wyatt, who exited directing the sequel to Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, is one possibility. Christopher Nolan, who has brought box office success to WB with his Dark Knight Trilogy, is another name the studio should be considering. We’ll be sure to keep you up to date on both projects.

[Source: Variety | Deadline]