Director Josh Trank Leaves 'Star Wars' Spin-off, Citing Personal Reasons

Director Josh Trank has announced his departure from a standalone Star Wars project. The Chronicle director was supposed to direct a spin-off film, similar to Star Wars: Rogue One which is currently being developed by Gareth Edwards. Trank, who has also directed the upcoming Fantastic Four remake, announced he was leaving the Star Wars project on Friday (1st May) via the film franchise's website.

The upcoming Star Wars film, The Force Awakens, is due to be released in December.

"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," Trank said in a statement on the website. "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 fans."

Trank also thanked Disney and Lucasfilms, as well as a host of individuals, for their support and the opportunity to be involved in the project. He signed off "May the Force be with you all."

A representative for Lucasfilms Kiri Hart, the Vice President of Development, 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."

J.J. Abrams is directing the upcoming Stars Wars film, Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The film is due to be released earlier this year and stars some of the cast from the original films including Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill. They are joined by the likes of Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson, Lupita Nyong'o and Gwendoline Christie.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is released in cinemas in the US and UK on 18th December 2015.

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