Gareth Edwards will no longer direct “Godzilla 2” for Legendary and Warner Bros., TheWrap has learned.
Edwards helmed the 2014 “Godzilla” film, which grossed $200 million at the domestic box office, based on a $160 million budget. It starred Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen and Bryan Cranston, as well as the classic Japanese movie reptile, who was tasked with saving the world from two other monsters.
Edwards is still signed on to direct “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” which will open on Dec. 16.
“Godzilla 2” is dated for a release on March 22, 2019. Warner Bros. is building a cinematic monster universe featuring popular creatures such as Godzilla and King Kong.
It is currently unknown why Edwards left the project, but the departure would certainly explain Universal’s recent date shuffle around the franchise.
The studio pushed “Godzilla 2” from June 8, 2018, to March 22, 2019, and dated “Godzilla vs. Kong” for May 29, 2020.