At the premiere of his latest movie,
A Very Long Engagement, French director Jean-Pierre Jeunet was asked by several reporters why he turned down the opportunity to direct
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
His reason was that he felt he had nothing to contribute to the film.
Quote:
"Almost everything was done, from the actors to the script. The only thing I would have had to do was to sit on the chair and say 'action'....My life is too short to make those kinds of movies."
The full article, which is in Spanish, can be read
here.
Articles concerning Jeunet being asked to direct OotP can be found
here,
here and
here.
David Yates is the confirmed director for 'Order of the Phoenix'.
Source:
Veritaserum