Jaume Collet-Serra emerges as frontrunner to direct Suicide Squad 2

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

Although SUICIDE SQUAD may not have wound up being the saviour of the DCEU that we hoped it would be (that honour goes to WONDER WOMAN), there was still plenty of interest in the continuing misadventures of Deadshot (Will Smith), Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Joker (Jared Leto), and the rest of their band of merry super-villains. Warner Bros. has spent the past few months searching for a director to take on the SUICIDE SQUAD seque,l and now Deadline reports that Jaume Collet-Serra (THE SHALLOWS) has emerged as the frontrunner for the gig.

After it was reported earlier this year that Mel Gibson was being sought to direct the SUICIDE SQUAD sequel, it was later rumoured that Jaume Collet-Serra was being considered as well. THR adds that script delays pushed the start of production on the sequel back and that Gibson moved on. Warner Bros. also recently received a new treatment by Zak Penn (READY PLAYER ONE) and a new script will now be written. Although it's not certain, today's news seems to point toward Jaume Collet-Serra walking away with the job.

The director, known for ORPHAN, UNKNOWN, NON-STOP, RUN ALL NIGHT, and THE SHALLOWS, is also attached to direct WACO, a drama scripted by Mark Boal (ZERO DARK THIRTY) and Marc Haimes (KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS) which will be focused on the tense and ultimately tragic 1993 standoff between the FBI and Texas state law enforcement and the David Koresh-led Branch Davidians. Production on WACO is expected to get underway later this year, which means that if Jaume Collet-Serra does take on the SUICIDE SQUAD sequel, it likely wouldn't get started until 2018.

David Ayer, who wrote and directed the first film, may not be returning for the sequel, but he'll still remain a part of the DCEU as he's currently developing GOTHAM CITY SIRENS, a SUICIDE SQUAD spinoff which will star Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn and showcase the "top female villains from the DC stable" including Catwoman and Poison Ivy.

Now that his involvement seems more likely, how do you feel about Jaume Collet-Serra taking the helm of the SUICIDE SQUAD sequel?