Veteran Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert says leaving the television show that he and late movie pundit Gene Siskel made famous more than thirty years ago.

In an e-mail to The Associated Press on Monday, Ebert said Disney-ABC Domestic Television had decided to take At the Movies With Ebert & Roeper “in a new direction” and he won’t apart of it.

The announcement comes hours after fellow Chicago Sun-Times columnist Richard Roeper announced he was leaving the nationally syndicated series over a contract dispute.

“Several months ago, Disney offered to extend my contract, which expires at the conclusion of the 2007-08 season. I opted to wait. Much transpired after that behind the scenes, but an agreement was never reached, and we are all moving on.”

His last appearance on the show will air the weekend of August 16th-17th.