‘The Equalizer’ Loses Another Director

The Equalizer adaptation has lost yet another director.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes mastermind Rupert Wyatt was tapped to direct the big screen version of the 80s television show last month. However, reports indicate that he too may have decided to part ways with the production.

According to Deadline, Wyatt is no longer attached to direct the film for Sony Pictures. However, it would appear the director’s decision to leave the film was based solely on his busy schedule.

The folks at Sony Pictures and Escape Artists are currently searching for someone else to tackle the project. It’s unclear if producers are still hoping to get the film in front of cameras later this year.

Cinema Blend explains that Rupert Wyatt has a number of projects on his plate at the moment. In addition to working on the science fiction thriller Agent 13 with Charlize Theron, the Rise of the Planet of the Apes director will also tackle the adaptation of author Sebastian Faulks’ novel Birdsong.

Executives at Sony Pictures previously stated that Battleship director Peter Berg was in the running for the job before Wyatt was brought on-board. It’s currently unknown if the studio intends to get Berg to tackle The Equalizer.

The Inquisitr previously reported that Drive director Nicolas Winding Refn was originally attached to project. However, the acclaimed filmmaker reportedly had issues with star Denzel Washington. Since the director and the star couldn’t see eye-to-eye, Refn removed himself from the film.

Despite all of these problems, Denzel Washington is still slated to star in The Equalizer. Sony wanted to get production rolling this May. If the studio has trouble finding someone to direct the project, then everything could get pushed back a bit.

Here’s what the television series was all about:

“Robert McCall is The Equalizer, a private detective with a lot of contacts who is available for hire if you have a problem that you don’t know how to solve. His no-nonsense attitude, compassion, and experience with dealing with a wide variety of situations makes him a powerful and useful detective.”

Are you looking forward to The Equalizer? Are you disappointed that Rupert Wyatt won’t direct the adaptation?