Say what you will about Suicide Squad, and we have, it still broke records and made over $745 million worldwide, meaning Suicide Squad 2 is on the way, and DC heads Jon Berg and Geoff Johns seem determined for it to have a better plot. Will Smith and Margot Robbie will be returning, but director David Ayer apparently won’t, even though he had some ideas for a R-rated followup. So who will direct?
Deadline reports Jaume Collet-Serra is now the frontrunner, and he’s a surprisingly good choice. He can make fast-paced movies on a reasonable budget with some WTF storylines, and he’s also worked with Warner on several movies in the past. If you’re not familiar with his name, you’d probably at least recognize his work. He directed the absolutely looney (spoiler) Orphan, four Liam Neeson movies (Unknown, Run All Night, Non-Stop, and next year’s The Commuter), and that movie where Blake Lively fights sharks. He was also previously attached to Warner’s Akira remake starring Garrett Hedlund as Kaneda, which thankfully imploded.
This news contradicts prior rumors that Mel Gibson was the frontrunner. Warner was reportedly familiarizing Gibson with the material while keeping other directors in mind if Gibson didn’t work out. We’re sure you’ll be shocked to hear things didn’t work out with the guy who said, regarding Batman V Superman, “It’s a piece of sh*t. I’m not interested in the stuff.” Oh man. And it’s so unlike Mel Gibson to say things that come back to haunt him.
(Via Deadline)