The Suicide Squad sequel is looking like DCEU’s biggest tax write-off to date: they’ve now reportedly approached the Legend of Tarzan writer for the script!
Suicide Squad may have been a box office success, but the critical reviews were pure poison to the already struggling franchise. Coming on the heels of the worldwide panning of Batman v Superman, it seemed like it might be best for Warner Brothers to rethink how they handled the sequel.
Instead, the company continues to double down on the bad decisions. As we previously reported, Mel Gibson was approached to possibly direct the follow-up to Suicide Squad, (though, as of this writing, no formal offer has been made). Now, Variety is reporting that Adam Cozad, who wrote The Legend of Tarzan, is currently in negotiations with Warner Brothers to chef up the script for the Suicide Squad sequel.
The head-scratching decision to keep things in-house despite the critical failure of Tarzan comes shortly after it was confirmed that David Ayer, who wrote and directed the original Suicide Squad, would not return for the sequel because he was working on a Harley Quinn stand-alone film called Gotham City Sirens.
As for why the Suicide Squad sequel — which, as of this writing, doesn’t have a projected release date — was such a priority for the studio, the answer is simple: despite the backstage drama, questionable storyline, and snarkable portrayals, it was considered a box office hit, grossing $745 million worldwide.
And it’s not like Cozad is wet behind the ears, either. To the contrary: The Legend of Tarzan grossed more than $350 million at the box office, and he also did a fine job with the Chris Pine-led vehicle, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit. In addition to writing the Suicide Squad sequel, Cozad also wrote the upcoming Underwater, starring Kristen Stewart and TJ Miller.
There has been no official statement released from either Warner Brothers or DC, but suffice it to say that the announcement was met with more than its fair share of controversy from devoted fans on social media.
Why? Both movies were awful. Let someone else have a shot. It can't get much worse.
— Jim De Vico (@JimDeVico) March 15, 2017
Next: Recasting Suicide Squad With An All Lady Villain Squad
Will you be checking out the Suicide Squad sequel?