David Ayer Defends Push for ‘Suicide Squad’ Director’s Cut: “Judge Once You Have All the Information”
Filmmaker David Ayer is making it clear that he wants his own cut of Suicide Squad to eventually see the light of day.
Ayer, who has long been vocal about pushing to release a director’s cut of his 2016 Warner Bros. feature, took to social media on Thursday to share a fan-generated image promoting a possible release of Ayer’s personal vision for the film. Suicide Squad focuses on DC Comics villains teaming up and features Will Smith as Deadshot, Jared Leto as Joker, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flag and Viola Davis as Amanda Waller.
More from The Hollywood Reporter
“I hope my real film can be shared one day,” Ayer posted to X (formerly Twitter) alongside the image. “I appreciate the continued support and interest.” He added the hashtag #ReleaseTheAyerCut.
When a social media user responded that Ayer wouldn’t need to release his own cut if the original film had been strong on its own, the filmmaker replied, “The best version simply has not been seen. I know how difficult it is for someone outside the industry to comprehend how insanely different [two] cuts [of] a film can be. If you dislike what you’ve seen, here’s an opportunity to see what I actually intended and then judge once you have all the information.”
Ayer, who helmed this year’s Jason Statham thriller The Beekeeper, went on to admit that he wasn’t sure if Warner Bros. or current DC Studios heads James Gunn and Peter Safran would be game to release his cut of Suicide Squad. Gunn himself directed the 2021 follow-up The Suicide Squad, which saw the returns of Robbie, Kinnaman and Davis, alongside new castmembers Idris Elba and John Cena.
“Honestly I have no idea if WB would ever release my version,” Ayer wrote. “And I have to defer to James and the studio to manage it as they see fit. It’s not something I control. I just believe it would be a lot of fun for those who want to see it, to see my cut. If it’s not for you, I totally get that. We all have different taste and likes and dislikes.”
Later, Ayer responded to a user who posted that his own cut is unlikely to get released this long after the original film. “If it happens cool,” Ayer posted. “If it doesn’t cool. It’s just not that deep. I think you deserve to see it and judge it then. If it’s not for you all good.”
Ayer is likely hoping his film follows the path of Justice League, the superhero team-up film that Warner Bros. released in 2017. That movie was credited to director Zack Snyder but was completed by Joss Whedon after Snyder stepped away. Following a push by fans using the hashtag #ReleaseTheSnyderCut, HBO Max released Zack Snyder’s Justice League in 2021 with a runtime of four hours.
Suicide Squad collected $749 million at the global box office but was largely seen as a disappointment by fans and holds a 26 percent approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. In his review for The Hollywood Reporter, critic Todd McCarthy wrote, “Part smart-ass genre sendup, part grimy noir that wants to be as dirty as Deadpool but remains constrained by its PG-13 rating and part short-falling attempt by Warner Bros. to get a big-budget DC Comics mashup right, the film starts with promise but disengages as it loses its creative bearings.”
Best of The Hollywood Reporter
Sign up for THR's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Solve the daily Crossword
