It’s not unheard of for directors to leave projects — whether it be of their own free will or being forced off for “creative differences” — just ask David O. Russell. What is unusual is to have a director leave the project after the film has been shot and is in the process of post-production. This is the case with Dredd, the reboot of Judge Dredd, as the 24 Frames blog of the LA Times reports that director Peter Travis (Vantage Point) has left the film during the editing process.
Initial reports (and unnamed sources) claimed that Travis was fired from the film, due to creative differences reaching a breaking point between him and Dredd producers. With Travis out of the picture, Alex Garland, writer and co-producer on the project, is overseeing the editing process and rumors swirled that he would see a co-director credit, a rumor disquieted by Garland in a statement released shortly after the news broke.
The statement was released by both Garland and Travis, citing that Travis was not fired and that the turn of events was greatly exaggerated. Still, the story has generated a little press for the project which started with industry buzz that seemed to have faded over time. The original “Dredd” was released in 1995 and considered a commercial disappointment, but has garnered enough of a cult-hit status by way of home release and comics to warrant a reboot with Karl Urban (Star Trek) in the titular role.
Dredd remains scheduled for September 21, 2012.