Rupert Wyatt leaves 'The Equalizer'

After all the talk and hype and pre-production work Rupert Wyatt (“Rise of the Planet of the Apes”) has dropped out of directing “The Equalizer” starring Denzel Washington (“Man on Fire”).

According to Collider today, he is the second director to bail on the project, Nicholas Winding Refn (“Drive”) was originally attached, and he claims it is due to scheduling conflicts with his upcoming WWI drama “Birdsong.”

Denzel Washington has long been set as the lead as a former covert operations officer who dedicates his life to helping people in trouble, and thanks to his usual contract stipulations he has already been paid a substantial sum of money up front which is probably making Sony and Escape Artists studios uncomfortable about the lack of stability in the production.

Hopefully for the studio’s sake the next director sticks around.

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