Matt Damon Backs Out of Directing Debut, Gus Van Sant to Take Over

Actor decides not to helm film he cowrote with John Krasinski due to "script issues"

It looks like Matt Damon won't be following in the footsteps of his pal Ben Affleck, after all.

At least not anytime soon.

The We Bought a Zoo actor had been slated to make his directorial debut on a movie starring both himself and John Krasinski, but has now decided to pull out of helming the project.

So what made him change his mind?

According to Vulture, it came down to "script issues."

Of course, such a reason seems a bit odd considering the as-yet-untitled film about a salesman who arrives in a small town only to have his whole life called into question, was cowritten by Krasinski and...Damon!

Meanwhile, Deadline is reporting today that director Gus Van Sant has agreed to step in for Damon and, as a result, the film is on track to start production in April. The site adds that the reason Damon backed out of directing himself actually came down to not having enough time to do so. He is, however, still planning on performing in front of the camera.

Of course, this wouldn't be the first time Van Sant and Damon have worked together, havng collaborated on 1997's Good Will Hunting.