Moviefone Editorial

Tag: david-ayer

  • Watch Shia LaBeouf and Bobby Soto in the trailer for ‘The Tax Collector’

    Watch Shia LaBeouf and Bobby Soto in the trailer for ‘The Tax Collector’

    In the last couple of years, we’ve seen Shia LaBeouf display an impressive (and maybe unexpected) versatility as an actor, and his next film looks like it will continue that trend. In ‘The Tax Collector,’ LaBeouf is playing a stone-cold bagman for a Los Angeles crime lord. Bobby Soto is playing his partner, and David Ayer (Suicide Squad) is directing.

    Here’s the official synopsis:

    David (Bobby Soto) and Creeper (Shia LaBeouf), are “tax collectors” for the crime lord Wizard, collecting his cut from the profits of local gangs’ illicit dealings. But when Wizard’s old rival returns to Los Angeles from Mexico, the business is upended, and David finds himself desperate to protect what matters more to him than anything else: his family.

    Director David Ayer previously worked with LaBeouf on the gritty WWII drama ‘Fury,’ and Ayer’s 2012 film ‘End of Watch’ might also be a good indication of how tense this new film will be.

    ‘The Tax Collector’ will be in theaters, on demand and digital on August 7.

  • David Ayer Set to Direct WWII Tank Battle Film ‘El-Alamein’

    David Ayer Set to Direct WWII Tank Battle Film ‘El-Alamein’

    Columbia Pictures

    David Ayer wants to play with tanks again.

    The “Fury” and “Suicide Squad” director is in talks to helm “El-Alamein,” based on the true story of a series of bloody battles in the North African desert between German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel and Britain’s Eighth Army, led by Bernard Montgomery.

    In 2014, Ayer made the WWII tank battle drama “Fury,” which starred Brad Pitt.

    At the heart of “El-Alamein” is the battle that proved to be the climax and turning point of the desert war. Allied forces took a stand and kept the Germans and Italians from taking control of the Suez Canal and overrunning Egypt.

    Ayer has a lot on his plate. He is developing a Showtime drama about private military contractors, directing Shia LaBeouf in “The Tax Collector,” and is still apparently (maybe?) making a sequel to the 2017 Netflix film “Bright.”

  • David Ayer Developing Showtime Drama About Private Military Contractors

    David Ayer Developing Showtime Drama About Private Military Contractors

    Columbia Pictures

    “Suicide Squad” and “Fury” director David Ayer is developing a drama series about private military contractors for Showtime.

    According to Variety, Ayer is attached to write and direct “The Company,” described as an irreverent look at the military contracting industry during its Wild West heyday post 9/11.

    Also described as an “anti-procedural,” it will take the larger-than-life personalities that fight America’s wars out of the shadows and put them on display.

    This would be Ayer’s third television series. He previously adapted “Training Day,” which Ayer wrote, into a CBS drama. Next season, he has “Deputy” on Fox.

    Ayer’s most recent feature film was 2017’s “Bright.”

  • ‘Suicide Squad’ Writer-Director David Ayer Calls James Gunn the ‘Right Man’ for Sequel

    ‘Suicide Squad’ Writer-Director David Ayer Calls James Gunn the ‘Right Man’ for Sequel

    Suicide Squad
    Warner Bros.

    David Ayer praised Warner Bros. as ‘incredibly brave and smart’ to hire James Gunn to write and possibly direct “Suicide Squad 2.”

    Ayer wrote and directed the first film, which made $746.8 million worldwide and actually picked up an Oscar for Best Makeup and Hairstyling. Critics ripped the film, and Ayer later said he wished he had done some things differently — including making Jared Leto’s Joker the main villain, and engineering “a more grounded story.”

    When it came time for DC/WB to decide on a sequel, they hired Gavin O’Connor for the job. But Variety’s Justin Kroll recently said O’Connor pitched a script that’s similar to the “Birds of Prey” movie, so he stepped away to focus on his next project.

    Marvel

    DC/WB confirmed that James Gunn was hired to write the sequel, releasing a statement via the DC Daily webseries (via ComicBook):

    “It’s official that we have got a new member of the DC family: acclaimed writer/director James Gunn has been attached to write Suicide Squad 2,” said host Tiffany Smith. “Gunn is poised to bring a completely fresh take to the franchise after the first film was written and directed by David Ayer.”

    Someone asked David Ayer what he thought about DC/WB hiring James Gunn — who was famously fired by Disney for old offensive tweets, after writing three and directing two “Guardians of the Galaxy” films for Marvel Studios.

    Ayer is a fan of the hire:

    If you think he was being sarcastic — or throwing shade — he wasn’t:

    Now that we know James Gunn is officially on board for “Suicide Squad 2” — at least as screenwriter — stay tuned for more details as it plays out. Meanwhile, Ayer has a couple projects of his own lined up, including “Tax Collector” and “Bright 2.”

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  • David Ayer Reteams With Shia LaBeouf for ‘Tax Collector’ Before Directing ‘Bright 2’

    MK3_2858.CR2Yes, “Bright” is getting a sequel. It got so much attention for the critics vs. fans divide, with many fans defending the Will Smith film, so of course Netflix is coming back for more.

    David Ayer (“Suicide Squad”) made “Bright,” and he’ll be back for “Bright 2,” but first he’s making the indie crime thriller “Tax Collector.”

    That’s the news from Deadline, which added that Ayer also wrote the script for the movie, which films this summer in L.A., starring Shia LaBeouf and Bobby Soto.

    Ayer previously directed LaBeouf in the 2014 war film “Fury.”

    Boyd "Bible" Swan (Shia LaBeouf) in Columbia Pictures' FURY.Deadline said “Tax Collector” is meant to take Ayer back to his gritty crime thriller roots, ala “End of Watch” (which he directed) and “Training Day” (which he wrote).

    So that’s coming up pretty fast. Stay tuned for more plot details and the eventual release date.

    And then there’s the “Bright” sequel, which Netflix confirmed in January. Meanwhile, “Suicide Squad” is also getting a sequel, but not with David Ayer.

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  • Netflix Confirms ‘Bright’ Sequel With ‘Leaked Orc Auditions’ Video

    LA Premiere of Netflix Films 'BRIGHT'Sorry, critics, but the future is still “Bright” at Netflix.

    The streaming service just confirmed that a sequel film is in development. Variety reports that David Ayer will return to write and direct the second film, with stars Will Smith and (under a lot of orc makeup) Joel Edgerton also expected to return.

    Speaking of orcs, to confirm the news, Netflix posted this goofy “audition” video:

    “Leaked footage of Orc casting confirms the rumors: there will be a sequel to Bright.”

    Netflix doesn’t release viewer numbers, but they did say “Bright” was the highest viewed original film in its first week of release. They also said “Bright” was the No. 1 movie on Netflix around the world, having more international viewers than domestic. Nielsen reportedly tracked the film’s numbers, saying it was viewed by 11 million people in the U.S. over three days. That’s just from TV viewership, not from watching on other devices, since Nielsen only tracks TV views.

    “Bright” showcased the growing divide between critics and viewers — with most critics trashing the film, while many fans (including John Boyega) praised it. We’ll have to see if “Bright 2” gets the same reception.

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  • ‘Bright’ Blasted by Critics But Defended by Fans in Latest Example of Divide

    “Bright” is the latest example of a film panned by critics and later praised by fans. Is this just a clear opinion divide, or are fans reacting to the expectations set up by critical reviews?

    The gap between critic and fan responses to major films has been growing. There is no one “consensus” on either side, but lately we’ve seen more examples of critics loving a film while the audience slams it. On the flip side, if critics dislike a film, many fans seem to like it. Since the critics’ reviews are posted first, some fans may be reacting to the expectations, thinking, “Well, it’s not THAT good/bad.”

    Over at Rotten Tomatoes, the new Will Smith Netflix movie “Bright” currently has a 33 percent rating but an 89 percent Audience Score. That’s a massive divide.

    Bright European Premiere - LondonIt’s reminiscent of “Justice League” having a low 41 percent rating from critics vs. fans giving it a 78 percent Audience Score. On the other side, it also calls to mind “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” getting a 92 percent rating from critics and just 53 percent from the audience.

    Sometimes it pays to put fans in defense mode before they even see the movie.

    Director David Ayer is no stranger to this dynamic. His “Suicide Squad” got a 26 percent rating from critics and 61 percent from fans. He’s taking the “Bright” criticism in stride:


    The critic vs. fan divide continued as more reactions poured in:

    “Bright” was released on Netflix on December 22. What did you think of it?

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  • ‘Suicide Squad’ Director In Talks for ‘Scarface’ Remake

    David AyerDavid Ayer working with Joen and Ethan Coen? That’s a combo we never thought we’d see.

    The “Suicide Squad” director is in early negotiations to tackle the upcoming remake of “Scarface,” Deadline reports, which has a script by the Coen brothers. Antoine Fuqua (“The Magnificent Seven”) reportedly had to drop out of the director’s race for scheduling reasons.

    The new version of the immigrant who rises to become a powerful crime boss will be set in Los Angeles and will star Diego Luna of “Rogue One” and “Y Tu Mama Tambien” fame. Al Pacino memorably played the gangster kingpin in the 1983 version by Brian De Palma and those are damn hard footsteps to follow in.

    Despite not having yet nailed down a director, the film has a release slot: Say hello to this little film in August 2018.

  • ‘Suicide Squad’ Director Now Wishes He Made Joker the Main Villain

    Director David Ayer has taken months of crap for “Suicide Squad,” which he admits has its “flaws.” In a candid new post on Twitter, he confessed how much it hurt to see savage reviews of his film — “The hate game is strong out there” — and revealed what he would do differently if he could go back in time.

    When the harsh reviews first started coming out in early August 2016, Ayer stood by the film, tweeting, “I love the film and I believe in it. Made it for the fans. Best experience of my life.” Now, on Jan. 21, in response to a fan’s praise of the movie as a “masterpiece,” Ayer tweeted a whole statement on the film, including his wish that he could go back and make Jared Leto’s Joker the main villain, as well as “engineer a more grounded story.”

    Here’s the post:

    It sounds like he has listened to some of the constructive criticism and agreed with it. David Ayer is now slated to direct Margot Robbie (Harley Quinn) and company in “Gotham City Sirens,” following DC’s top female villains, so he has a chance to illustrate those lessons learned.

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  • Margot Robbie & David Ayer Reteam for DC’s ‘Gotham City Sirens’ Movie

    Who run the world? Nasty women. And, um, David Ayer.

    Director Ayer did not exactly wow critics with “Suicide Squad,” but the movie did make more than $745 million around the world. Now he’s back to direct and produce “Gotham City Sirens,” showcasing DC’s top female villains, including (and especially) Margot Robbie‘s Harley Quinn.

    The Hollywood Reporter just confirmed the long-discussed idea, adding that Robbie will also executive produce the film. The comic book series “Gotham City Sirens” launched in 2009, focusing on lady big bads like Catwoman, Poison Ivy, and Harley Quinn. This movie about women will be written by one, too: THR said the script is by Geneva Robertson-Dworet, who also wrote scripts for the “Tomb Raider” remake and “Sherlock Holmes 3.”

    THR noted that Warner Bros. is also still developing a “Suicide Squad” sequel and looking at a “Deadshot” spinoff. But they said this Harley-led project is furthest along and on the “fast track,” so it’s clearly coming first.

    Stay tuned for updates on casting for the other roles, and production/release dates.

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