After David Ayer and Mel Gibson had previously had passed on directing Suicide Squad 2, Jaume Collet-Serra is also passing on the sequel.
Deadline reports he’ll instead direct Dwayne Johnson in the Disney film Jungle Cruise, poised to become the next Pirates of The Caribbean as it’s based on the famous theme park ride.
Jaume Collet-Serra has been set by Disney to direct Dwayne Johnson in Jungle Cruise. This means that Collet-Serra will withdraw from Suicide Squad 2, the Warner Bros sequel for which he was top choice. After directing a bunch of hit movies that included last summer’s sleeper The Shallows, Collet-Serra has been poised to take that step to star filmmaker, and numerous studios chased his next slot. He decided that the opportunity to originate a new Indiana Jones-like action-adventure franchise in lockstep with one of the most globally bankable film stars — like Gore Verbinski did with Johnny Depp in The Pirates of the Caribbean — was a better opportunity than continuing a storyline originated by another director. Production will begin late next spring.
Johnson confirmed the news via Twitter.
Welcoming Jaume to our @Disney‘s #JungleCruise. Excited to work w/ this visionary filmmaker & deliver for the fans.https://t.co/mB87RHr0c4
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) July 31, 2017
Production on Jungle Cruise begins sometime during next spring.
SOURCE: DEADLINE