"Suicide Squad 2" will reportedly start filming in March 2018, earlier than previously rumored.
Back in August, Variety reporter Justin Kroll tweeted that the sequel to DC film "Suicide Squad" would have to delay filming to accommodate the schedule of Will Smith (Deadshot), who has to shoot two other projects — Disney's reboot of "Aladdin" and Paramount Pictures' science fiction film "Gemini Man."
However, an updated listing on film production tracking website My Entertainment World shows that the movie's filming will start in mid-March 2018. This suggests that Warner Bros. Pictures will indeed fast-track the production of "Suicide Squad 2" in line with a reported spin-off that will feature Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) and a host of other DC female heroes and villains like Batgirl and Birds of Prey.
Last month, Warner Bros. confirmed that Gavin O'Connor had been selected to direct the upcoming sequel. O'Connor is best known for directing Ben Affleck's 2016 crime thriller "The Accountant," which grossed $155.2 million worldwide.
With this revelation, "Suicide Squad 2" is now the third film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) expected to hit the cinemas in 2019. It was earlier announced that "Shazam!" is slated to premiere on April 5 and "Wonder Woman 2" on Dec. 13.
The first installment of "Suicide Squad," directed by David Ayer, was a box-office success grossing $745.6 million worldwide. But reviews were another matter. While Robbie's portrayal of Harley Quinn was critically acclaimed, The Wall Street Journal called the film itself "an ugly trash."
Details about the sequel have been slow-coming but with five months left before filming starts, fans can anticipate more news from now onwards. As for the cast, nothing has been confirmed yet but apart from Robbie and Smith, Jared Leto (The Joker) and Viola Davis (Amanda Waller) are also expected to reprise their roles.
Meanwhile, fans of the DCEU can indulge themselves with the franchise's other superheroes as "Justice League" opens on Nov. 17.
