AceShowbiz -

The second "Star Wars" spin-off faces a roadblock. Josh Trank, the director behind "Chronicle" and "The Fantastic Four", is no longer attached to direct the untitled stand-alone Star Wars film II which is due 2018. He left to pursue "some original creative opportunities."

"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," he said. "I've put a tremendous amount of thought into this, and I know deep down in my heart that I want to pursue some original creative opportunities."

"That said, the Star Wars universe has always been one of my biggest influences, and I couldn't be more excited to witness its future alongside my millions of fellow Star Wars fans. I want to thank my friends Kathleen Kennedy, Kiri Hart, Simon Kinberg, and everyone at Lucasfilm and Disney for the amazing opportunity to have been a part of this. May the Force be with you all," he added.

In the wake of his announcement, Lucasfilm VP of Development Kiri Hart commented, "It was a privilege to collaborate with Josh. We are grateful for the energy and love of Star Wars that he brought to the process, and we wish him all the best."

Although the official announcement about Josh Trank's departure has just been made, his absence from the "Star Wars" Celebration in Anaheim actually raised eyebrows in April. He was a no-show claiming to suffer "the worst flu of my life" back then, while Gareth Edwards who will direct "Star Wars: Rogue One" was present at the panel.