Just a few weeks afterSuicide Squad 2 was put on the fast track, a new filmmaker is coming aboard. Warner Bros. has finalized a deal for Gavin O’Connor to writeSuicide Squad 2, while also engaging in talks for him to direct the superhero sequel. Still, while the project looks to be finally moving forward, this report claims that filming isn’t scheduled to begin until the fall of 2018, giving Gavin O’Connor plenty of time to perfect the story.
The news comes fromVarietytoday, with the report claiming that, after it was confirmed originalSuicide SquaddirectorDavid Ayerwon’t be returning, this sequel directing gig was among the hottest jobs in town. It did seem at one point that the project was on the fast track, with the studio eyeingJaume Collet-Serrato direct, withThe Legend of Tarzanwriter Adam Cozad also coming aboard this summer to write the script, but it remains unclear if Gavin O’Connor will work from that draft, or if he will be performing a page-one rewrite.
This new report reveals that Gavin O’Connor was always on the studio’s short list for directors to take over the reins from David Ayer, which also included Jaume Collet-Serra and another early candidate,Mel Gibson, whose name surfaced in regards to this directorial job back in February, but he was never confirmed to sign on. Gavin O’Connor has a strong relationship with Warner Bros., after directing another DCEU star, Ben Affleck, inThe Accountant, which hit theaters last fall. The filmmaker is already developing a sequel for that project as well, that will bring him back to direct and Affleck starring as the title character.
The last we heard onSuicide Squad 2was last week, when an unconfirmed report claimed thatSuicide Squad 2was being delayed because ofWill Smithand his increasingly busy schedule. We reported earlier today that filming has just begun on Disney’sAladdin, with Will Smith portraying the iconic Genie, originally voiced by Robin Williams in the animated classic. The source of last week’s report was also the same Variety writer, Justin Kroll, who broke the news today, so it seems there will be quite a long wait forSuicide Squad 2. The original report claimed that the studio wanted to start shootingSuicide Squadsometime in 2018, but if it’s actually the fall of 2018, we still have a year left until filming starts, and not just a few months as originally believed.
Suicide Squad 2is expected to bring back all of the main cast members from last year’sSuicide Squad, such as Will Smith (Deadshot), The Joker (Jared Leto), Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Boomerang (Jai Courtney), Rick Flagg (Joel Kinnaman), Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) and more. If production does in fact start in the fall of 2018, then it’s possible the studio could be eyeing a late summer 2019 release or a fall 2019 release, but the studio’s release plans have yet to be confirmed. Gavin O’Connor’s other directing credits includeJane Got a Gun,Warrior,Pride and GloryandMiracle.
