Kristen Stewart not returning for Snow White and the Huntsman 2

After the departure of director Rupert Sanders it seems that Universal has settled on a director for the Snow White and the Huntsman sequel. He is former Walking Dead showrunner, Frank Darabont. In addition to Darabont entering negotiations to direct, we also learned that Kristen Stewart is not returning for the sequel.

Snow White and the Huntsman opened back in 2012 to so-so reviews and it was severely overshadowed by the affair between Sanders and Stewart which resulted in a divorce for Sanders and a break-up for Stewart. I think most people went to see this movie primarily for that reason, but that's just a theory.
News that Stewart is apparently being omitted from the sequel isn't really a surprise for a couple reasons. First off, Universal announced over a year ago they had basically dropped her from the future films due to the drama that surrounded her at that time. The initial story then was they decided to move forward with a spin-off about the Huntsman (aka, Chris Hemsworth) instead of pursuing further projects with Stewart. In addition to that, since the famous affair that basically ruined her post-Twilight high, she has had only two film appearances with absolutely none in 2013. Her last credit prior to 2014 was The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 which was released in November 2012. She has recently starred in Camp X-Ray where she portrayed an Army guard in Guantanamo Bay and she was hit at Cannes last month for her portrayal of an actress' young assistant in Clouds of Sils Maria. She's currently filming American Ultra where she is reuniting with co-star Jesse Eisenberg. Point being... it is possible that Universal came back around to her and she declined. I don't think I would blame her if that is the case. I would imagine Snow White holds some bad memories and karma.

As far as Frank Darabont goes, he is a somewhat surprising addition to this project. He has apparently beat out directors Gavin O'Conner and Andres Muschietti for the job and is on board with expanding the Huntsman without any help from Kristen Stewart. It's no doubt going to be difficult to restart this Snow White tale without their leading lady. Lucky for Darabont and Universal, Chris Hemsworth has a big enough fanbase to fill theater seats.

Universal is apparently hoping for a 2016 release for Snow White and the Huntsman 2. What do you guys think about a Stewart-less Snow White adaptation? Even more important, how do you think Darabont will do?
I personally wasn't the biggest fan of Snow White and the Huntsman. It definitely won the 2012 cake in the sense that it was a lot more enjoyable than Mirror, Mirror but that still doesn't mean it was great. The best part about the entire flick was Charlize Theron. Kristen Stewart was miscast in the first place, so I think it's best that she has since departed this franchise. 

Frank Darabont sues AMC over The Walking Dead

Frank Darabont, the ex-showrunner for AMC's The Walking Dead, has decided to file a lawsuit against AMC over the show's profits. Darabont is accusing AMC of "self dealing" the show's profits by setting low license fees affecting the compensation for those involved. He is also claiming he was wrongfully terminated by AMC and says he should continue to receive a credit as "executive producer" for The Walking Dead, Talking Dead, and the upcoming spin-off by Robert Kirkman. AMC declined comments, but Darabont and his agency, CAA, are asking for a monetary settlement.

There is a slim chance this will go to trial. It is likely that AMC will settle out of court and give Darabont a cash settlement. This isn't uncommon with television shows due to the relaxed syndication laws passed in 1995. Examples of previous cases include:

Home Improvement producers suing Disney
Alan Alda (M*A*S*H*) sued 20th Century Fox
Will & Grace creators sued NBC
Smallville producers sued Warner Bros.

All claims were that the studios did not distribute the money properly. The main difference with this case by Darabont against AMC is he was fired while the season was still running and is including the grievance in the case. In Darabont's original contract, AMC stated that The Walking Dead would be produced by an outside company and he would receive up to 12% compensation from the company. However, AMC decided to self-produce the show and as a result, they decided to self-deal the profits. The contract also included protection against self-dealing profit margins.
The wrongful termination is the clincher, imo. When Darabont was renewed as showrunner, AMC included a lock on him for seasons two and three along with a pay raise. Darabont was suddenly terminated from the show and the suit claims it was to avoid paying him the promised salary per episode and to prevent another pay raise after the third season was over.

AMC should the thanking Darabont. He gave them the best show in the network's history both profit wise and in viewership.