In July, we reported that The Shallows director Jaume Collet-Serra was the frontrunner to take over the franchise and replace outgoing director David Ayer — and he was — but it appears that he has since taken another job. The Spanish director will reportedly be behind the camera for the Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s upcoming film Jungle Cruise, leaving Warner Bros. and Suicide Squad 2 in the lurch.
The helmer is reportedly a hot commodity in Hollywood these days and Jungle Cruise offered him a way to take ownership of a major action franchise and springboard himself onto the A-list. The film is based on a Disney theme park ride where a riverboat shepherds a group of travelers through a jungle crawling with menacing creatures, but before you scoff at the premise, remember that Pirates of the Caribbean was based on a similar attraction.
As for Suicide Squad 2, the film will have to go back to the drawing board, but it’s worth noting that Mel Gibson was once under consideration for the gig.
There are some major casting questions left to be answered as well. Several big-name actors (Joel Kinnaman, Will Smith, etc.) have been rumored to be returning — but then again, so was David Ayer. In other words, we’re all still waiting and seeing.
For the time being, the film is expected to hit theaters sometime in 2019, but we will have to see if the search for a director drags on and delays things a bit. Jungle Cruise, on the other hand, has yet to set a release date, but you will be able to catch Collet-Serra’s The Commuter early next year. Stay tuned and we’ll keep you updated as news on any/all of these projects breaks.
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