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Matt Damon has revealed he pulled out of directing his latest movie because he didn't want to miss out on time with his kids.
The Bourne star - who has four children with his wife Luciana - was expected to take the reins on Promised Land, which he and US Office star John Krasinski co-wrote and star in together.
But he told Collider: "I decided that I wasn't going to direct it on December 15 of last year. That was my last day of work. The Neill Blomkamp movie (Elysium) that I was on went over. I had been away from my kids, and then I got back and had to do a really intense week or two of press for We Bought A Zoo. On December 15, my last thing was The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and I finished it and got home and my year was over. I looked at the calendar and realised that, to get the movie out this year, I had to go into pre-production on January 2. I just couldn't leave the kids again."
Matt admitted it was "horrible" calling John to tell him of his decision.
He then contacted his Good Will Hunting director Gus Van Sant, who went on to replace him as the movie's director.
"Gus is, without question, a better director than me," said the star.
Matt and Luciana have three daughters together, and the actor is stepdad to her daughter Alexia, from a previous relationship.
Promised Land focuses on a struggling Pennsylvania community trying to decide whether to sell drilling rights for natural gas.
