New Line and Marvel Studios announced last November that they had signed Nick Cassavetes to direct "Iron Man," but it turns out there was never a done deal according to Variety.
"The Notebook" director, currently in post on "Alpha Dog" for the studio, is in fact still not on board and has not held talks to direct the film for several months. He is, however, working on a rewrite of the script by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, and David Hayter.
Cassavetes is still in the running to direct, and New Line remains committed to making the film. But with no director on board and casting yet to begin, the studio has delayed the film's release from 2006 to 2007.
Marvel Studios movie chief Avi Arad said in a conference call yesterday - "We want Nick to make the movie. We had him. He's an 'Iron Man' aficionado. Everything was fine and then negotiations got delayed. We lost a year."
Thanks to 'Creaky'
