Mel Gibson Courted for SUICIDE SQUAD 2

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AndyDursin
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Mel Gibson Courted for SUICIDE SQUAD 2

#1 Post by AndyDursin »

Great for Mel that he's being considered for a big blockbuster -- but can't it be something more...worthwhile?

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-v ... uel-974436
Mel Gibson is mulling joining the DC Extended Universe … as a director.

Warner Bros. is courting the actor-director to helm Suicide Squad 2 and the sides are early in talks, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. No official offer has been made nor has any commitment.

Sources say that Gibson is familiarizing himself with the material. But the studio is not being passive and is also looking at other directors, Daniel Espinosa among them.

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Monterey Jack
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Re: Mel Gibson Courted for SUICIDE SQUAD 2

#2 Post by Monterey Jack »

This smacks of Shane Black hired for Iron Man 3...yeah, it was a nice gesture on Robert Downey, Jr.'s part to get the guy who got his career comeback rolling again with Kiss Kiss Bang Bang a cushy blockbuster gig (and it was my favorite of the series), but considering how WB micro-manages their superhero slate to death, I can't see Mel as anything more than a glorified puppet. :?

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AndyDursin
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Re: Mel Gibson Courted for SUICIDE SQUAD 2

#3 Post by AndyDursin »

I think it's more a case of wasting Gibson's time with marginal material than not having the ability to do his thing. At least with Warner, they do tend to let their directors go -- in comparison with Marvel at least-- and that has both its positive (Nolan) and negative (Snyder) aspects. David Ayer seemingly had the ability to make his own movie with the first SUICIDE SQUAD -- it's when it turned out to be so lame that they became heavily involved and imposed changes, most of which seemed to be necessary given how the product ended up.

I have no doubt Mel would make a sequel that's superior to the original -- I'd just rather see him tackle a more worthy project than just another product rolling off the comic book assembly line. Then again maybe he will surprise everyone again!

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Monterey Jack
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Re: Mel Gibson Courted for SUICIDE SQUAD 2

#4 Post by Monterey Jack »

AndyDursin wrote: I have no doubt Gibson would make a sequel that's superior to the original -- I'd just rather see him tackle a more worthy project than just another product rolling off the comic book assembly line.
But a nice, cushy franchise job with a built-in audience is probably the best way for Gibson to get back into a studio's good graces these days. You gotta play the game a little in order to do the things you really want to do (and Hacksaw Ridge was only moderately successful at the box office).

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AndyDursin
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Re: Mel Gibson Courted for SUICIDE SQUAD 2

#5 Post by AndyDursin »

Monterey Jack wrote:But a nice, cushy franchise job with a built-in audience is probably the best way for Gibson to get back into a studio's good graces these days.
That's always true. It's also a lay-up in terms of built-in audience, and with the first movie being a hit but also a lousy movie, he's got nowhere to go but up.

From the sounds of it, he's basically all the way back -- got an acting role lined up in DADDY'S HOME 2 (sure it's crap, but it'll make money) and seemingly several directorial choices to choose from. A good place to be in.
You gotta play the game a little in order to do the things you really want to do (and Hacksaw Ridge was only moderately successful at the box office).
Yep. I would argue though that Hacksaw was more than a "moderate" success -- it's basically been deemed a solid, if not major, success overall. Any time you quadruple your production cost, that's eye opening, especially for an "adult" movie nowadays. $164 mil worldwide on a $40 mil budget? No wonder why Hollywood is interested (plus the movie was good, too, obviously -- which doesn't hurt!).

Those kinds of movies really do not make big dollars anymore. The adult audience is staying home and out of the multiplex...more and more it's becoming Tentpole City outside of the rare exception (Hidden Figures, La La Land, etc.).

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