"Suicide Squad 2" is one step closer to becoming a reality. Jaume Collet-Serra, the man behind the survival horror-thriller film "The Shallows," has been brought in to direct the much-awaited sequel to the hit superhero film that starred Will Smith, Margot Robbie and Jared Leto.
According to Deadline, the 43-year-old Spanish director and producer is reportedly Warner Bros. Pictures' top choice, following earlier reports of other candidates, including Mel Gibson, Daniel Espinosa, Ruben Fleischer and Jonathan Levine.
Also, a new script for "Suicide Squad 2" is now being worked on by Zak Penn, who co-wrote the 2006's "X-Men: The Last Stand" and 2007's "The Grand."
There is no word yet on when "Suicide Squad 2" will arrive, but Warner Bros. hopes to start production by mid-2018 in order for the film to make a 2019 release date.
"As far as I know they're writing the script and I think the plan is to shoot it sometime in 2018, but that could change," Joel Kinnaman, who took on the role of Rick Flag in the first installment, said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, adding, "I think I'll definitely come back for it."
While nothing has been officially confirmed, it is interesting to explore more of Tatsu Yamashiro/Katana's (Karen Fukuhara) backstory — where she is from and what kind of training she received — in the sequel.
Even Fukuhara herself admitted she wants to explore the character's past as depicted in the comic books — how she turned into the warrior that audiences saw in the first film.
"I would love that," the 25-year-old actress said about the possibility of reprising the role during a Q&A panel at the 2016 Rose City Comic Con, as cited by 411 Mania. "For the sequel, I'd like to show a lot more about her relationship with Soultaker, her sword, and her relationship with her husband and where she came from."
