Yesterday, we learned from Deadline that Warner Bros. was potentially in conversations with Mel Gibson to direct Suicide Squad 2. Alluding that David Ayer will be too busy with Margot Robbie’s Gotham City Sirens and will not be returning for that sequel.
The controversial Gibson (abusive, sexist, anti-semitic, and racist tirades) recently landed six Oscar nominations for his WWII film Hacksaw Ridge.
Last year, Gibson really gave it to superhero movies in general and then went on to call Batman v Superman “a real piece of shit”.
THR are backing up Deadline, adding the studio was full-on courting him and that Gibson was familiarizing himself with the material.
Mel is even confirming the talks during a Hacksaw Ridge Q&A calling it a “first date”.
More realistic candidates that the studio is also looking at include Swedish director Daniel Espinosa (Safe House, Life), Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland, Gangster Squad), and Jonathan Levine. All three of these gentlemen mentioned by Variety have attempted to land comic book movie gigs previously.
However, I’d place my bet on Ruben since he made a high-profile picture for Warner Bros. with Gangster Squad and his flick Zombieland is well regarded within the genre community.
According to Variety, Will Smith actually wanted to work with Gibson on The Accountant when he was still attached but studio rejected the idea. So, it sounds like Will Smith is fine with the idea of working with Mel, kind of bizarre but okay.
Will and Mel actually wanted to do THE ACCOUNTANT years ago but old regime didn’t want Mel but shows how much Mel want to work with Will
— Justin Kroll (@krolljvar) February 16, 2017
It’s expected that Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Jared Leto, Jai Courtney, Viola Davis, and others would be returning.
No production start date or release date have been mentioned for Suicide Squad 2, but since it was revealed that plans for the sequel started back in August. We have to assume that it could be ready to shoot in either late 2017 or 2018, it remains to be seen if production will return to Toronto.
SOURCE: NATHANIEL FISHER JR.