Alfonso Cuarón NOT looking for a new project

We posted only recently that Alfonso Cuarón was rumored to direct the upcoming Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them film. Nikki Finke suggested on Twitter that Alfonso was in talks to direct the film, which sent fans into a frenzy. We also posted an article that argues the pros and cons of Alfonso directing the film, from two very different PoVs, which is well worth a read.

However, a new article today states that Alfonso is NOT looking for any new projects at the moment. Speaking from Italy, Alfonso said,

My near-term plans over the coming months are to take my kids to school and plan what I’m going to do this summer with them. Now, I’m once again connecting with life; I have no plans of any kind.

Speaking about his involvement in the Harry Potter universe, Alfonso further said,

It was a very beautiful experience for me. I have a lot of love for that universe, and I tremendously admire J.K. Rowling, but today, for the present, projects based around lots of visual effects don’t attract me. I’m coming out of a five-year process of doing visual effects, and now I sort of want to clean my palate of that a little bit.

It seems that perhaps Alfonso might not be in the running to direct the film after all, but who knows what will happen next?

What do you think of Alfonso’s statement? Were you keen for him to direct the film? Whom do you think should direct the film?