Conflicts that led these celebs to dump projects

Justin Lin has been one of the defining figures of the 'Fast & Furious' franchise for years, directing films four through six before taking a break, returning to co-write and direct the final installment: 'Fast X.' He has been deeply involved with the franchise for more than a decade, and even more so with the final film. This is why it came as a huge surprise when Lin announced he was stepping down as director just two days into production. In a statement released on April 26, Lin wrote, "With the support of Universal, I have made the difficult decision to step back as director of FAST X, while remaining with the project as a producer." He went on to express his gratitude to the cast, crew, and studio, praising them for the incredible work they've done over the years.

Reports say that Lin came to this dramatic decision due to creative differences with the studio, although the separation is believed to be amicable.

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Emma Thompson - Emma Thompson made headlines for leaving 'Luck,' an animated project produced by Skydance Animation, because of the hiring of John Lasseter.

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Emma Thompson -

Lasseter had left Pixar, and joined Skydance, amid claims of sexual assault. Thompson questioned "hiring someone with Mr Lasseter's pattern of misconduct," and has left the project.

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Leonardo DiCaprio - DiCaprio has almost appeared in many hit films, including 'American Psycho' from 2001. However, it didn't work out.

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Leonardo DiCaprio - The Guardian reported that DiCaprio wasn't happy with the film's direction, handled by Mary Harron (right), so he stepped down. Christian Bale stepped in for the lead role.

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Sylvester Stallone - Sylvester Stallone is the face of hit franchises like 'Rocky' and 'Rambo.' However, he had to step down from 'Beverly Hills Cop.'

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Sylvester Stallone - Stallone clashed with director Martin Brest (pictured). The actor apparently tried to get the filmmaker to rewrite the script, which was the last straw. Stallone out, Eddie Murphy in.

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James Remar - One week into filming, James Remar (pictured) left James Cameron's film 'Aliens.'

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James Remar - Remar wasn't there for the rehearsal period, and developed creative differences with the director (pictured). It got to be too much, so he left the film, and Michael Biehn stepped in.

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Janet Hubert - Janet Hubert famously left 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' in 1993. The actress had a high-profile rivalry with lead star, Will Smith.

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Janet Hubert - Hubert was replaced by Daphne Reid. In 2011, Hubert (left) told TMZ that she'd "never do anything with an a**hole like Will Smith (right)."

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Eric Stoltz - It's impossible to imagine 'Back to the Future' without Michael J. Fox. However, the original lead was Eric Stoltz (pictured).

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Eric Stoltz - That said, director Robert Zemeckis (right) wasn't into Stoltz's "comedy sensibilities," as reported by Entertainment Weekly. Stoltz left the film, and Fox (left) stepped in.

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Leonardo DiCaprio… again - DiCaprio (pictured) has abandoned more than one project. He was cast in Mel Gibson's Viking film 'Berserker,' which was never released.

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Leonardo DiCaprio… again - DiCaprio's departure played a big role in the film's "development hell." It's said that the actor left after Gibson (pictured) made headlines, both for racist comments about police officers and threats to his then-girlfriend.

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Kel O'Neill - 'There Will Be Blood' was a hit film directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. Kel O'Neill (pictured) was originally cast as the conniving Paul Sunday.

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Kel O'Neill - However, O'Neill was apparently intimidated by Daniel Day-Lewis (pictured), who is an intense method actor. Apparently, Kel couldn't take it and left, according to the New York Times.

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John Travolta - In the '90s, John Travolta (pictured) joined the cast of 'The Double,' a film directed by Roman Polanski. However, the actor left the movie, which was never finished.

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John Travolta - Travolta and Polanski (right) clashed on a few character details, and Polanski apparently commissioned rewrites that Travolta wasn't happy with. Lawsuits followed, and the film never made it out.

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Kim Basinger - Kim Basinger was bold in joining the cast of 'Boxing Helena,' a mystery horror which centers on a surgeon who amputates a car crash survivor.

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Kim Basinger - Basinger switched agencies at the time of production, and attempts were made to get director Jennifer Lynch to soften the film's subject matter. Lynch refused, Basinger left, and lawsuits followed.

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Harvey Keitel - Stanley Kubrick is a legendary director, infamous for his strenuous tactics on set. Harvey Keitel (pictured) thought he was up for the task, joining the cast of 'Eyes Wide Shut.'

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Harvey Keitel -

Keitel flew into London to start rehearsals, but Kubrick (pictured) kept delaying the start date. The actor was patient, but eventually left the production in frustration.

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Megan Fox - In films filled with action and special effects, Megan Fox helped bring a human face to the 'Transformers' franchise. However, she didn't quite gel with director Michael Bay.

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Megan Fox - Fox was fired from the third film, after labelling Bay (left) "Adolf Hitler" and a "nightmare." Spielberg wasn't having it, and had Fox fired in no time.

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Christian Bale - Christian Bale (pictured) was originally cast as the Apple CEO in 'Steve Jobs,' directed by Danny Boyle. However, the actor eventually left the film.

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Christian Bale - Apparently, the actor had a phone conversation with Laurene Powell Jobs (right), Steve's widow who tried to halt the film's production. He left the film, and details of the conversation remain top secret.

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Ryan Gosling - This A-list actor was originally cast as the father in 'The Lovely Bones.' He put on 60 lbs (27 kg) for the role, but that didn't sit well with the filmmakers.

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Ryan Gosling - Director Peter Jackson (right) didn't see the vision. "We had a different idea of how the character should look," Gosling told the Hollywood Reporter. The actor left, and Mark Wahlberg stepped in.

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Charlie Hunnam - Charlie Hunnam was originally cast as Christian Grey in 'Fifty Shades of Grey.' However, there was just one problem.

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Charlie Hunnam -

Hunnam had already promised his friend, Guillermo Del Toro (right), that he would star in 'Crimson Peak.' The actor kept his word, and Jamie Dornan stepped in as Grey.

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Getty Images

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Justin Lin -

Reports say that Lin came to this dramatic decision due to creative differences with the studio, although the separation is believed to be amicable.

Getty Images

1 / 32 Fotos

Emma Thompson - Emma Thompson made headlines for leaving 'Luck,' an animated project produced by Skydance Animation, because of the hiring of John Lasseter.

2 / 32 Fotos

Emma Thompson -

Lasseter had left Pixar, and joined Skydance, amid claims of sexual assault. Thompson questioned "hiring someone with Mr Lasseter's pattern of misconduct," and has left the project.

3 / 32 Fotos

Leonardo DiCaprio - DiCaprio has almost appeared in many hit films, including 'American Psycho' from 2001. However, it didn't work out.

4 / 32 Fotos

Leonardo DiCaprio - The Guardian reported that DiCaprio wasn't happy with the film's direction, handled by Mary Harron (right), so he stepped down. Christian Bale stepped in for the lead role.

5 / 32 Fotos

Sylvester Stallone - Sylvester Stallone is the face of hit franchises like 'Rocky' and 'Rambo.' However, he had to step down from 'Beverly Hills Cop.'

6 / 32 Fotos

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James Remar - One week into filming, James Remar (pictured) left James Cameron's film 'Aliens.'

8 / 32 Fotos

James Remar - Remar wasn't there for the rehearsal period, and developed creative differences with the director (pictured). It got to be too much, so he left the film, and Michael Biehn stepped in.

9 / 32 Fotos

Janet Hubert - Janet Hubert famously left 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' in 1993. The actress had a high-profile rivalry with lead star, Will Smith.

10 / 32 Fotos

Janet Hubert - Hubert was replaced by Daphne Reid. In 2011, Hubert (left) told TMZ that she'd "never do anything with an a**hole like Will Smith (right)."

11 / 32 Fotos

Eric Stoltz - It's impossible to imagine 'Back to the Future' without Michael J. Fox. However, the original lead was Eric Stoltz (pictured).

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Eric Stoltz - That said, director Robert Zemeckis (right) wasn't into Stoltz's "comedy sensibilities," as reported by Entertainment Weekly. Stoltz left the film, and Fox (left) stepped in.

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Leonardo DiCaprio… again - DiCaprio (pictured) has abandoned more than one project. He was cast in Mel Gibson's Viking film 'Berserker,' which was never released.

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Kel O'Neill - 'There Will Be Blood' was a hit film directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. Kel O'Neill (pictured) was originally cast as the conniving Paul Sunday.

16 / 32 Fotos

Kel O'Neill - However, O'Neill was apparently intimidated by Daniel Day-Lewis (pictured), who is an intense method actor. Apparently, Kel couldn't take it and left, according to the New York Times.

17 / 32 Fotos

John Travolta - In the '90s, John Travolta (pictured) joined the cast of 'The Double,' a film directed by Roman Polanski. However, the actor left the movie, which was never finished.

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Kim Basinger - Kim Basinger was bold in joining the cast of 'Boxing Helena,' a mystery horror which centers on a surgeon who amputates a car crash survivor.

20 / 32 Fotos

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Harvey Keitel - Stanley Kubrick is a legendary director, infamous for his strenuous tactics on set. Harvey Keitel (pictured) thought he was up for the task, joining the cast of 'Eyes Wide Shut.'

22 / 32 Fotos

Harvey Keitel -

Keitel flew into London to start rehearsals, but Kubrick (pictured) kept delaying the start date. The actor was patient, but eventually left the production in frustration.

NL Beeld

23 / 32 Fotos

Megan Fox - In films filled with action and special effects, Megan Fox helped bring a human face to the 'Transformers' franchise. However, she didn't quite gel with director Michael Bay.

24 / 32 Fotos

Megan Fox - Fox was fired from the third film, after labelling Bay (left) "Adolf Hitler" and a "nightmare." Spielberg wasn't having it, and had Fox fired in no time.

25 / 32 Fotos

Christian Bale - Christian Bale (pictured) was originally cast as the Apple CEO in 'Steve Jobs,' directed by Danny Boyle. However, the actor eventually left the film.

26 / 32 Fotos

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Ryan Gosling - This A-list actor was originally cast as the father in 'The Lovely Bones.' He put on 60 lbs (27 kg) for the role, but that didn't sit well with the filmmakers.

28 / 32 Fotos

29 / 32 Fotos

Charlie Hunnam - Charlie Hunnam was originally cast as Christian Grey in 'Fifty Shades of Grey.' However, there was just one problem.

30 / 32 Fotos

Charlie Hunnam -

Hunnam had already promised his friend, Guillermo Del Toro (right), that he would star in 'Crimson Peak.' The actor kept his word, and Jamie Dornan stepped in as Grey.

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Conflicts that led these celebs to dump projects

Marvel’s 'Blade' loses director Bassam Tariq just two months ahead of production

14/09/23 | StarsInsider

CELEBRITY Feuds

Showbiz can be shady and rife with feuds, arguments, and creative differences. It's true that not all stars can get along in Hollywood, and many celebs actually leave projects because of other people.

Bassam Tariq has exited his role as director of Marvel’s 'Blade' just two months before production was set to begin on the Mahershala Ali-starring feature about the iconic comic book vampire slayer. Tariq, who previously directed 2020’s rap drama 'Mogul Mowgli' starring Riz Ahmed, released a statement confirming his exit. “It’s been an honor working with the wonderful folks at Marvel. We were able to put together a killer cast and crew. Eager to see where the next director takes the film," he said, as per The Hollywood Reporter.

It appears the conflict is time-related, as Marvel stated to THR: “Due to continued shifts in our production schedule, Bassam is no longer moving forward as director of Blade but will remain an executive producer on the film. We appreciate Bassam’s talent and all the work he’s done getting Blade to where it is.”

If Tariq's departure affects the production timeline for 'Blade,' which is set for release on November 3, 2023, it may throw off the carefully planned chronology of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's film and television storylines. But Tariq joins other directors who have left Marvel Studios films after already completing substantial pre-production, including the likes of 'Doctor Strange' director Scott Derrickson who stepped down from the sequal four months ahead of filming, and Jon Watts, director of the MCU’s three 'Spider-Man' films, who exited as director of the upcoming 'Fantastic Four' reboot over the summer.

Click on for inside stories from the industry, and meet the celebs who left projects because of other people.