David Ayer on directing Bright after Suicide Squad reviews cut his throat

Last year saw the release of David Ayer's SUICIDE SQUAD, and the reaction to the DC film wasn't exactly positive, with Ayer himself having to come to its defense while also admitting that he wished he had approached the project differently. While speaking with ET Online recently, David Ayer spoke about how it felt to begin work on BRIGHT not too long after SUICIDE SQUAD had been welcomed with such a harsh reception.

"It was sh*t. Yeah, it was sh*t reviews. I got my throat cut," Ayer laughed. "It was a super polarizing movie. Incredibly polarizing." As for whether those reviews affected his work on BRIGHT, Ayer admitted, "Yeah, for sure. It made me gun shy."

It's like going to the boxing ring and getting knocked out is how it felt. And I had to go into the ring again. And directing is a confidence game, because you're selling everyone on something that only exists in your head. The actors have to feel that confidence to trust that you know what you're doing, and so does your crew. As a director, you set the tone. Really, it's coming off that movie, I understood the pitfalls, I understood the dangers, I knew where the alligators hide, you know? And so I made damn sure I didn't repeat any mistakes.

Unfortunately, it seems as though we're experiencing a little déjà vu with BRIGHT, as the fantasy cop drama has also been receiving an avalanche of negative reviews. To his credit, David Ayer responded to a particularly scathing review of BRIGHT by calling it "f*cking epic" and promising to put it on his fridge. I haven't yet had time to check out BRIGHT for myself, so I can't speak to its quality, but I am still looking forward to it. Netflix is obviously eager for more as Bloomberg reported earlier this week that a sequel has already been ordered with Will Smith set to return.

The official synopsis for BRIGHT:

Set in an alternate present-day, this action-thriller directed by David Ayer (Suicide Squad, End of Watch, writer of Training Day) follows two cops from very different backgrounds (Ward, a human played by Will Smith, and Jakoby, an orc played by Joel Edgerton) who embark on a routine patrol night that will ultimately alter the future as their world knows it. Battling both their own personal differences as well as an onslaught of enemies, they must work together to protect a thought-to-be-forgotten relic, which in the wrong hands could destroy everything.

BRIGHT was released on Netflix today, and you can check out a review from our own JimmyO right here!