The world of film production is a funny place as of late. With review aggregators killing movies before they even hit theaters, as well as the power of the collective Twittersphere, and any missteps are broadcast in bright lights. This was surely the case with David Ayer's Suicide Squad.The villain-centric team up film was highly anticipated before its release, but the theatrical cut didn't provide the raucous time we'd bee promised in the trailers. Ayer's latest project is the Netflix original movie Bright, and he recently opened up about his trepidation about the project, following Suicide Squad's poor critical performance. And whats more, how that process actually helped him produce his latest sci-fi action flick.
It's like going to the boxing ring and getting knocked out is how it felt. And I had to go into the ring again. And directing is a confidence game, because you're selling everyone on something that only exists in your head. The actors have to feel that confidence to trust that you know what you're doing, and so does your crew. As a director, you set the tone. Really, it's coming off that movie, I understood the pitfalls, I understood the dangers, I knew where the alligators hide, you know? And so I made damn sure I didn't repeat any mistakes.
Per his comments to ET, David Ayer has found the upside to his experience with Suicide Squad. And furthermore, it seems that he's been able to channel the reaction from the Task Force X movie into future projects, allowing him to continue to grow and improve as a director. Guess he's a glass half full kind of guy.
This isn't the first time that David Ayer has had to defend the results of Suicide Squad, and find a positive spin on a film that unfortunately many cinephiles like to poke fun at. He was recently asked if he regretted helming the project, an idea he completely denied. He did a ton of world creating for the DCEU, introduced a new franchise, and picked up an Academy Award for Best Makeup. And regardless of its critical performance, Suicide Squad made a ton of money at the box office.
Bright seems to be suffering a similar fate critically, although there seems to be a strong disconnect between reviewers and fan reaction. The Netflix movie, at the time of writing, sits at a pretty dismal 31% on Rotten Tomatoes. But the audience score on the same page is at 90%, which is quite the discrepancy.
Netflix subscribers can judge for themselves, as Bright is now available on the streaming service. David Ayer is also currently developing a Gotham City Sirens movie, and we'll update you on that DCEU installment as details become public. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your trips to the movies in the New Year.
