Mel Gibson is reportedly being courted to direct Suicide Squad 2.
The 61-year-old star is wanted by Warner Bros. to helm the follow-up to the 2016 superhero movie, which starred the likes of Will Smith and Margot Robbie and was directed by David Ayer.
Mel is currently familiarizing himself with the material and weighing up the opportunity, according to the Hollywood Reporter. However, the movie studio is also looking at other directors, with Daniel Espinosa named among the possible alternatives.
The first Suicide Squad movie received mixed reviews from critics, but a sequel was rendered inevitable thanks to its box office earnings of more than $745 million worldwide.
However, as David Ayer is now developing Gotham City Sirens, which is based on the comic book series of the same name, the studio has been left trying to find a new director.
And following his success with Hacksaw Ridge, Mel has recently found himself in demand once again.
He has, in fact, received a number of attractive offers in recent months, including the chance to star alongside Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg for Paramount’s Daddy’s Home 2, while he has also secured a part in the crime thriller Dragged Across Concrete.
Earlier this week, meanwhile, Viola Davis said her role in Suicide Squad has given her the “clout” to pursue a diverse range of projects.
The actress said that her appearance as intelligence officer Amanda Waller in the DC Extended Universe film has proven she can be a “bankable” star.
She explained: “Being part of the DC Universe gives you the clout that affords you to do the projects you want, because you have to be bankable. You have to thin that way in this business. Because it is a business.”
