Filmmaker David Ayer continues to get more vocal on social media about the fate of the problematic “Suicide Squad” film and how much his cut differed from the significantly edited and reworked theatrical cut released in 2016.
Ayer’s new found confidence comes thanks to a serious push by fans to see his original cut of the movie restored after HBO Max announced Zack Snyder’s new cut of “Justice League” coming to the service. Unlike the Snyder Cut which requires major restoration and an overhaul, Ayer’s cut of ‘Squad’ is said to be nearly complete bar a handful of effects shots and a bit of a final polish.
Ayer is continuing to answer fan questions that have sprung up about his director’s cut and says his version tonally is far more comparable to the 2015 Comic-Con trailer for the film (see below). Set to a haunting version of the BeeGees’ “I Started a Joke,” the clip was the very first look at the movie and was assembled even though the film had only been in production a few weeks.
Subsequent trailers and the final film turned out to be quite different however. Ayer says in a series of tweets:
“This trailer nailed the tone and intention of the film I made. Methodical. Layered. Complex, beautiful and sad. After the [Batman v Superman] reviews shell shocked the leadership at the time, and the success of Deadpool, my soulful drama was beaten into a ‘comedy.’
This [the Joker torture scene] was reshot because the tone was ‘too dark’ – My first act was a normally constructed film. I took my inspiration from Nolan. There were real scenes with incredible acting between Jared and Margot. Joker was terrifying. Harley was complex.
Imagine if Todd Phillips film The Joker was reshot and recut because it was too dark – This is EXACTLY what happened to Suicide Squad. Anyone who says my cut did not work owes me to say it directly to me.”
At the time of that trailer, the film was being pegged as a serious affair. And then came the one-two punch of “Deadpool” and complaints about the dourness of “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” which quickly led to hastily assembled reshoots and retooling to make it a lighter and more easily pleasing affair.
Ayer rails against this, saying: “It created an incredible distortion in the CBM [comic book movie] space. DC is doing great now – DC is a darker more psychologically realistic universe. Lean in and love it.”
Ayer is continuing concerted efforts to campaign for why his original “Suicide Squad” cut should be released. Whether Warners or HBO Max will do so is anybody’s guess as this point.
Source: Twitter
