Harry Potter director David Yates withdraws from Your Voice In My Head with Emma Watson

David Yates, who directed the last four Harry Potter films, was expected to reunite with Emma Watson, who played Hermione Granger in those films, for Your Voice In My Head. However, on Monday, Yates officially withdrew from the Warner Bros. project to help with an emergency family situation.

Deadline first reported that Yates planned on pulling out of the project on Monday due to a family health situation. He had hoped to delay the project, which was set to be his first after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2, but the writers and producers did not want to stall it.

Yates later issued a statement early Tuesday. He reiterated that other commitments would make it impossible to complete the film in the short time frame he had been given to work with. I am sincerely sorry to be leaving such a fantastic project, and I wish producer Alison Owen and everyone involved the very best for what I am sure will be a distinctive film, he added.

Your Voice In My Head was based on Emma Forrests memoir with a script penned by Forrest. Watson is set to star as a young woman saved from suicide by a psychiatrist that is dying from cancer. Yates was reportedly considering Stanley Tucci as the male lead.

Cinemabled notes that it looks like Watson could still be attached to the project. Since it is being delayed, her next projects include The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Sofia Coppolas Bling Ring. Perks is set for a Sept. 21 release.

Yates also has A Reliable Wife, another project set up at Sony, which he will be able to work on once he can return to directing.

It will be curious to see if Warner Bros. decid! es to go ahead with Your Voice, since it will no longer have the Yates/Watson pairing, notes Indiewire. Warner Bros. was mostly interested to have Yates on the film, but without him, it may opt to end the project all together.