Matt Reeves has been signed to direct Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, the sequel to Rise of the Planet of the Apes, according to Deadline. Reeves is stepping in to replace Rupert Wyatt, who directed Rise…, but left the sequel last month. Reeves is best known in geek circles for directing Cloverfield, directed by J.J. Abrams.
The film is still expected to be completed in time to make the May 23, 2014 release date as scheduled.
Rise… was an unexpectedly big hit (see "Box Office 'Chimp'"), with a $54 million opening weekend.
BOOM! Studios is publishing comics based on the Apes franchise, with a new series announced last summer (see "BOOM! Adds More 'Apes'”).