From Deadline:
20th Century Fox, already undergoing seismic changes with Tom Rothman’s year end exit, might have a major director to replace on one of the studio’s most important film franchises. I’m hearing that Rupert Wyatt, who helmed the superb franchise reboot Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes, will leave the sequel. I’m told that Wyatt’s exit is similar to the same reason that Gary Ross stepped out of Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Wyatt didn’t feel comfortable making the May 23, 2014 release date that the studio announced in May.
Nooooooo! Please no! That really sucks. He did such a wonderful job on this film, and Apes was easily my favorite of 2011.
The only positive thing would be that the franchise is high profile again, meaning they could snag a top-tier director. Still, I liked Wyatt's take and hate to see him leave.
He did do a great job. I was just so impressed with that movie and how well it was made. The Ape himself made the whole movie work. Him leaving will make a difference.