Update: Jude Law has also reportedly dropped out of the movie as a result of Lynne Ramsay’s departure.

I hadn’t really been following the development of Natalie Portman’s Jane Got a Gun up until now, but with production due to start this week, the movie has suddenly been thrust into the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. Lynne Ramsay (We Need to Talk About Kevin) was attached to direct the independently financed western, but after some last minute negotiations went sour, she simply failed to show up on set for the first day of shooting. Apparently this is a pretty huge deal in Hollywood and people are already saying that an unprofessional move like this could end her career. Fortunately for the cast and crew (which also includes Jude Law and Joel Edgerton), producer Scott Steindorff (The Lincoln Lawyer) has managed to quickly pull in a replacement at a moment’s notice. Gavin O’Connor (Warrior) is closing a deal to take over the director’s chair with production expected to start Thursday.

According to Deadline, Gavin O’Connor just happened to be available at the moment, having recently directed the pilot for the FX series The Americans. Although he doesn’t have any experience with westerns per se, both Warrior and the gritty cop drama Pride and Glory balanced action with family drama. Jane Got a Gun stars Natalie Portman as a woman who recruits help from an ex-lover in order to defend her home from a rival gang that shot up her husband.

As for Lynne Ramsay, there has been no official comment from her side as of yet, but Steindorff has apparently been contemplating legal action. Ramsay had a pay or play deal, which means she probably already received some form of payment for the project. Either way, I was a fan of We Need to Talk About Kevin and I am sad to see her career potentially self-destruct. You also have to feel for Natalie Portman who apparently fought really hard to get a female director on the project. Do you think O’Connor will do a good job with this material? Is there any justification for a director to quit a movie so suddenly?