Among the many films and celebrities that were talked about during last night's Academy Awards 2017 celebration, who would have thought that David Ayer's SUICIDE SQUAD would be a part of the buzz? Okay, so the DC villain ensemble film did end up taking home a little bald, golden statue for Best Makeup & Hair Styling (edging out STAR TREK: BEYOND and A MAN CALLED OVE), but did any of us see that coming?
Earlier this month, it was reported that was among the list of candidates to direct a SUICIDE SQUAD sequel. Shortly thereafter, Gibson confirmed that he is indeed speaking with WB about the proposed project, but that it was totally a "first date" arrangement to be sure. Variety's Justin Kroll then gave a series of updates via his Twitter account on the matter, which you can read by clicking the link I've posted just sentences ago.
Most recently, Mel and his magnificent beard were sharking the red carpet when he was stopped by Entertainment Weekly, and was asked to give yet another update on whether or not he'll be signing on to direct Margot Robbie and her band of ne'er do well constituents in a sequel to DC's first team-related outing. When Mel (and his beard that I am totally not jealous of) spoke, they both said this, "I don't know. I just met some guys about story points. It's not a done deal or anything. But it's just fun to shoot the bull when it comes to stories. And if we can elevate any kind of concept it's good. We'll see."
It's not much, but the idea that Gibson, a controversial yet undeniably-talented figure in the filmmaking industry is even toying with the concept of directing SUICIDE SQUAD 2 intrigues me. The DCEU certainly has had its share of ups and downs since the shaky release of Zack Snyder's MAN OF STEEL (2013), and in my estimation, desperately needs something to come along and shake things up (regardless of the fact that all of the recent films from the legendary comic book publisher have made serious bank).
Could a SUICIDE SQUAD film directed by Gibson trigger a sea change for the brand? Is WB out of their minds for thinking that Mel would even consider working with them given his tremendous success in the face of past dealings? Only time will tell. One thing is for sure though, a Gibson-helmed SUICIDE SQUAD would bring people in by the droves.
As of the moment, any and all plans for a sequel to David Ayer's SUICIDE SQUAD are simply in the planning stages, though with the film's recent Oscar win, I'm sure that Warner Bros. will be looking to fast-track this one as soon as possible.
For now, you can watch the first film starring Margot Robbie, Jared Leto, Will Smith, Viola Davis, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Jai Courtney, and Joel Kinnaman, which is available on Digital, DVD, and Blu-Ray formats now.