Director Josh Trank Exits 'Star Wars' Anthology Movie [Video]

RTR4XO0P (640x427) — IN PHOTO : Redesigned stormtroopers appear onstage at the kick-off event of the Star Wars Celebration convention in Anaheim, California, April 16, 2015. REUTERS/David McNew

On May 1 LucasFilm announced that director Josh Trank will no longer helm the second "Star Wars" standalone movie. . No replacement director has been announced but Lucasfilm and Disney promise they will continue to develop the project, which is set for release in 2018.

"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 according to StarWars.com. He also said that he had put a "tremendous" amount of thought into the decision and that he wanted to pursue "original creative opportunities."

The 31-year-old also said that the "Star Wars" universe had always been one of his biggest influences. According to the report, Trank then said that like the millions of other "Star Wars" fans, he couldn't be more excited to witness the saga's future.

According to CNN, in addition to the three J.J. Abrams-led "Star Wars" sequels – kicking off this December with "The Force Awakens" – Disney and Lucasfilm previously revealed they would release a series of "anthology" films. Movies based on the space saga's expansive mythology that were tethered to but still unconnected from the storyline of Episodes One through Nine.

The first of those films, Gareth Edwards' Rouge One, will arrive in 2016. Trank's anthology film, rumoured to be about Han Solo and Princess Leia, due in 2018.

The first sign that Trank and "Star Wars" might have parted ways was when the director didn't join Edwards for a panel dedicated to the anthology films at Star Wars Celebration Anaheim in April. Trank tweeted he had the "Worst flu of my life."

Hey all. So, so, so sad to have missed today. Worst flu of my life. I hear it went beautifully with Gareth. Here's to next year. #SWCA
— Josh Trank (@joshuatrank) April 19, 2015

However, according to The Hollywood Reporter, it was Trank's "erratic" work on the upcoming superhero film "Fantastic Four" that convinced Lucasfilm to seek out a new director. The report also said that Trank was sometimes indecisive and uncommunicative.

Trank, whose first feature-length film was the found-footage flick "Chronicle," previously revealed to Rolling Stone that his initial taste of success was the "Star Wars" inspired YouTube short film "Stabbing at Leia's." He had said that they spent only $80 on it, borrowing fake light sabers and cheap stormtroopers costumes.

Speaking about the 2007 short film, the director also said that he did all the rotoscoping himself. He also added that he drew every frame of the light saber effects by hand.

The director's upcoming movie, "Fantastic Four" is scheduled for release on August 7, 2015 and stars Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara and Jamie Bell. (Watch the trailer below.)

Video: Fantastic Four | Official Teaser Trailer [HD] | 20th Century FOX