'X-Men 3' loses another director

Posted Thursday, June 2, 2005 at 5:02 PM Central

by John Couture

It seems like the X-Men franchise is dropping directors faster than Wolverine loses his temper. British director Mathew Vaughn pulled out of the project a mere five weeks before principal shooting is set to begin.

According to 20th Century Fox "As the shooting evolved, he realized he would have to move to Los Angeles and Vancouver for at least a year. Not wishing to uproot his family for an extended period, Vaughn opted to depart the production. We understand Matthew's reasons for leaving, as nothing is more important than family" And we understand his reasons as well considering that his wife is supermodel Claudia Schiffer.

Bryan Singer, who directed the first two installments of the franchise, opted out of this incarnation in favor of Superman Returns. Fox maintains that X-Men 3 is still set for a May 26, 2006 release.