The Suicide Squad ($724,133,343)

ForeverBlu wrote:David Ayer talked shit about the MCU and got dragged on Twitter.

Backpedaled and apologized.

LOL!

UltimateMarvel wrote:Fucking media is always exaggerating shit.

UltimateMarvel wrote:I'm hearing/reading the same thing. I'm gonna watch it next week but I hope we don't get another BvS.

UltimateMarvel wrote:Damn! I feel like Wonder Woman is going to be the movie to do it. I got chills from that trailer. Patty Jenkins did an incredible job. I don't have much hope for Justice League. That trailer as early as it is did nothing for me and I didn't like the score either, doesn't fit JL at all.

Tyger wrote:I think there's a lot going on behind the scenes we don't know about. I've said it countless times but Johns was heavily involved with Green Lantern which is among the most hated comic book movies of all time even though I still think it's underrated. Snyder was criticized for Watchmen for being fetishistically close to the source material and yet the DCU films all seem off. Part of that is the writing. I don't think Snyder has the control people think. The differences in the cuts of BvS says a lot.

Something is going on.

"Better late than never." That was one Warner Bros. executive's reaction to the excitement at Suicide Squad's splashy Aug. 1 premiere in New York. Tracking indicates the film could open to more than $140 million domestic and potentially hand the studio its first unequivocal megahit since American Sniper's $547.4 million in December 2014. With March's Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice grossing $873 million worldwide but failing to impress audiences or reach the hoped-for $1 billion mark, Warners still urgently needs to jump-start its critical DC Comics universe, raising the stakes for Suicide Squad, which cost at least $175 million to make.

Yet if the villain team-up ultimately works — and it has drawn some harsh early reviews  — it will be in spite of the kind of behind-the-scenes drama that is becoming typical for giant franchise movies that now are the main focus of the studio business: a production schedule engineered to meet an ambitious release date; a director, David Ayer (Fury), untested in making tentpole movies; and studio executives, brimming with anxiety, who are ready to intercede forcefully as they attempt to protect a branded asset. Often, efforts to fix perceived problems ratchet up costs, which drive anxiety ever higher. In extreme cases, such as Fox's troubled Fantastic Four, the intervention is so aggressive that it becomes unclear what it means to be the director. (In each such case, studios are careful to stress that the credited director is on-scene and in charge, which is essential to avoid DGA issues. And the wise director plays along.)

So despite grueling moments, multiple editors and competing cuts, the production of Suicide Squad barely stands out in today's landscape. In a joint statement to THR, Ayer and Warners production president Greg Silverman say: "This was an amazing experience. We did a lot of experimentation and collaboration along the way. But we are both very proud of the result. This is a David Ayer film, and Warners is proud to present it."

Warners chief Kevin Tsujihara announced the project in October 2014 as part of a slate of 10 DC films stretching into 2020. Though the studio believed there was enough time to get the movie done, a source with ties to the project says it was a sprint from the start. "[Ayer] wrote the script in like, six weeks, and they just went," he says, arguing that the whole process would have benefited if Ayer, 48, had been given more time to work. But another source closely involved with the film says once it was dated, pushing back the release was not an option: "It's not just that you've told the public the movie is coming, you've made huge deals around the world with huge branding partners, with merchandise partners. It's a really big deal to move a tentpole date."

In Ayer, Warners enlisted a director who had never made a giant, effects-packed action movie. Hiring filmmakers who lack such experience is the trend, and it's often out of necessity. "There are a lot of people who don't want to direct those movies and that's a huge problem," says one producer with franchise experience. "A lot of the proven guys are back-to-back with their stuff, or they want to develop it for five years, and there's a machine that has to be fed. And there's the economics." Seasoned directors are expensive, meaning studios turn to those with less experience, relying on instinct that they will be up to the job. Sometimes it works (Colin Trevorrow on Jurassic World), and sometimes it doesn't (James Bobin on Alice Through the Looking Glass).

A source with knowledge of events says Warners executives, nervous from the start, grew more anxious after they were blindsided and deeply rattled by the tepid response to BvS. "Kevin was really pissed about damage to the brand," says one executive close to the studio. A key concern for Warners executives was that Suicide Squad didn't deliver on the fun, edgy tone promised in the strong teaser trailer for the film. So while Ayer pursued his original vision, Warners set about working on a different cut, with an assist from Trailer Park, the company that had made the teaser.

By the time the film was done, multiple editors had been brought into the process, though only John Gilroy is credited. (A source says he left by the end of the process and that the final editor was Michael Tronick.) "When you have big tentpoles and time pressure, you pull in resources from every which way you can," says this source. "You can't do it the way it used to be, with one editor and one assistant editor."

In May, Ayer's more somber version and a lighter, studio-favored version were tested with audiences in Northern California. "If there are multiple opinions that aren't in sync, you go down multiple tracks — two tracks at least," says an insider. "That was the case here for a period of time, always trying to get to a place where you have consensus." Those associated with the film insist Ayer agreed to and participated in the process. Once feedback on the two versions was analyzed, it became clear it was possible to get to "a very common-ground place." (The studio-favored version with more characters introduced early in the film and jazzed-up graphics won.) Getting to that place of consensus, however, required millions of dollars worth of additional photography.

Other sources describe a fraught process — one cites "a lot of panic and ego instead of calmly addressing the tonal issue." Clearly all wasn't sitting right with Ayer, who in June suddenly dropped his longtime agent at CAA and defected to WME, though the agency won him back in a day. "He was under a lot — a lot — of pressure," says one person with knowledge of the situation, arguing that Ayer was exhausted and needed time to process conflicting ideas.

And there may have been other strains. Just weeks before the two versions were tested, Warners declined to ante up for Ayer's next project, Bright, which will reunite him with Squad star Will Smith. He ended up at Netflix, which made a staggering $90 million deal. Nonetheless, a day or two after Ayer fired and rehired CAA, another cut of the film was screened for a test audience, and sources say the results were strong enough that there was an upbeat plane ride back to Los Angeles.

Now the question is whether the film will deliver for an industry thirsty for something, anything, that will work in a summer bereft of live-action hits. Though reviews suggest the competing visions for the movie may have taken a toll (THR's critic calls the film "puzzlingly confused"), BTIG analyst Rich Greenfield says, "I've learned long ago there is not always a connections between reviews and box office and financial success." At the same time, it is imperative for Warners to build DC movies fans love like they do the Marvel pics.

Even on the day of the premiere, one insider fretted about whether Suicide Squad would mirror BvS' huge opening and weak legs. Another veteran says the goal is survival: "The movie's got to do $750 million, $800 million to break even. If they get anywhere close to that, they'll consider it a win."

UltimateMarvel wrote:

Tyger wrote:"Joker" is barely in it? That's good news

I'm going to see Joker and Harley so not good news for me. Who cares about the others?

Rusty Cunt wrote:I'm watching a spoiler-full review, and the chick's saying that almost everything you see of the Joker in the trailers and behind the scenes footage, isn't in the movie.

The big car scene with Batman lasts about 3 or 4 seconds.

With reports of competing cuts of Suicide Squad being worked on by WB and Davd Ayer, is there a version somewhere that contains a lot more of the Joker? Could we be headed for another Ultimate Edition?

Without diving too far into spoiler territory, most reviewers agree that Jared Leto's Joker leaves a lot to be desired. But in a recent interview, Leto revealed that many of the scenes he filmed for Suicide Squad were left on the cutting room floor.  As a fan, that's pretty disapointing to hear considering he's been featured so heavily in the film's marketing.  While promoting the movie in the UK, Leto told TeleStar, “There are a lot of scenes that didn’t make it to the final film.  Hopefully they will see the light of day. Who knows.”  His statement instantly bring to mind the recent reports of multiple cuts of the film being assembled by Warner Bros. and David Ayer.  Seperate reports from The Wrap and The Holywood Reporter both state that the theatrical cut from WB is not the version of the film intended by Ayer and that WB's decisions were being made in light of the backlash from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.  Perhaps Ayer will see his cut of the film released on Blu-ray/DVD? 

The perported behind-the-scenes drama surrounding the film's post-production asserts that WB felt Ayer's cut was way too dark and morbid which could certainly explain why a lot of Leto's scenes were cut from the film.  Trailers and TV spots for the film featured Joker shooting guns, conducting torture and rampaging through the streets of Gotham.  Perhaps Ayer's original vision for the Clown Prince of Crime took him down dark corridors typically reserved for mature comic book stories such as The Killing Joke or A Death in the Family?

UltimateMarvel wrote:Damn! I'm fucking disappointed about all of this. He was the main reason I wanted to watch this, he's a great actor. I don't know how this Joker is going to be but I was going to see the movie for Leto/Joker and now I read this shit. Again, BvS......it's like Deja vu. Well, there is always the director's cut.

Rusty Cunt wrote:The Joker was the main reason I didn't want to see it. Nothing against Leto, just didn't care for another Joker story yet - especially one not dedicated solely to him.

Didn't make it to a screening this morning. Decided to do a load of washing instead. Probably go Monday.

UltimateMarvel wrote:Damn! I'm fucking disappointed about all of this. He was the main reason I wanted to watch this, he's a great actor. I don't know how this Joker is going to be but I was going to see the movie for Leto/Joker and now I read this shit. Again, BvS......it's like Deja vu. Well, there is always the director's cut.

UltimateMarvel wrote:Definitely not going to watch that. lol!

Fuck it, if they announce a director's cut soon then I will not be going to watch the movie. I wish I waited for BvS.

Even if you’ve already watched “Suicide Squad,” there’s a good chance you missed one of its biggest easter eggs.

That’s because this one comes during Harley Quinn’s introductory scene, where her criminal history is listed on screen for a brief moment. The revelation pops up so quickly you barely have time to comprehend it, but it’s stunning.

Bios for the other members of the squad mostly just mention their abilities and the laws they’ve broken, but Harley gets an actual plot point. It seems like it will be a big deal whenever she pops up again in DC’s shared movie universe.

Here it is: In no uncertain terms, we’re told that Harley admitted to murdering Robin.

We already knew Robin was dead — we saw in “Batman v Superman” that Batman kept Robin’s suit in a display case, with the sentence “HAHAHA joke’s on you Batman” spray-painted across the chestpiece. The assumption, of course, was that the Joker killed him, but “Suicide Squad” casts doubt on that.

The Joker assumption fit like a glove because that’s a story we already know. The 1988 comic story “A Death in the Family” was about Robin being tortured and killed by the Joker. That Robin was Jason Todd, the second person to take on that title as Batman’s sidekick. During that story arc, DC actually held a phone poll in which fans would call in and vote on whether the Joker should kill or spare Jason. “Kill” won out, by a small margin.

Nearly two decades later, Jason Todd returned as the Red Hood, a vicious anti-hero more than happy to kill the bad guys. Todd did actually die, but was resurrected. (Don’t worry about the details, because they’re complicated).

It’s important to note that the character of Harley Quinn had not yet been created when “A Death in the Family” was published — her first appearance would come on “Batman: The Animated Series” in 1992. So this is certainly a new wrinkle.

As for whether Jason Todd will pop up later as Red Hood, that remains to be seen. But our own Umberto Gonzalez reported last year that the DC powers that be saw Red Hood as a priority at that time.

“Suicide Squad” is dominating the U.S. box office, heading for around $147 million in opening weekend ticket sales at 4,255 locations.

The massive opening weekend numbers shatter the previous record for August openings set by “Guardians of the Galaxy” when it earned $94.3 million in 2014. The Warner Bros. tentpole is shaking up a summer of disappointing box office performances with an opening day of $65 million Friday, which included $20.5 million from Thursday night previews. Imax screenings contributed about $5.8 million.

Friday results indicate that “Suicide Squad” is also performing well at the international box office — the film opened in 17 additional territories including the U.K., Mexico and Spain, bringing in $33 million in one day. That raises the international totals to $64.6 million.

The film, directed by David Ayer, has seen a critical thrashing over the past few days, earning it a 27% on Rotten Tomatoes. Still, it has earned a pretty strong CinemaScore, generating an overall B+ and especially promising A in the under 18 age group.

Warner Bros. spent $175 million making the movie as part of its efforts to create an interlocking cinematic universe filled with DC superheroes, much like what Disney has achieved with the Marvel characters. Earlier this year the studio opened its DC cinematic universe with “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” which grossed a mildly disappointing $870 million worldwide after an impressive $166 million opening. The U.S. Critical response was largely negative, generating 27% on Rotten Tomatoes, and a B CinemaScore.

Fan support has been strong with nearly 4 million followers for the “Suicide Squad” Facebook page. Online ticket seller Fandango reported Tuesday that “Suicide Squad” was the top August pre-seller in the company’s 16-year history, eclipsing “Guardians of the Galaxy.”

Rival studios are avoiding opening against “Suicide Squad” except for EuropaCorp’s family comedy “Nine Lives,” starring Kevin Spacey as a kitty cat. The $31 million production should open to around $6 million at 2,264 locations.

Universal’s second weekend of Matt Damon’s “Jason Bourne” will likely bring in about $22 million — enough to push the action film past $100 million. STX Entertainment’s “Bad Moms,” which had a production budget of about $20 million, is expecting a strong hold into week two — it should earn about $14 million, with a 10-day total of over $50 million.

Suicide Squad has only been out in theaters three days, but there's already been more than enough said from a variety of sources about the behind-the-scenes decisions that led to Warner Bros. opting for a more family-friendly cut of the film versus the original "somber" edition and left a vast number of scenes, some of which were teased in the trailers, on the cutting room floor. And, even though David Ayer has gone on record saying that the poorly received theatrical cut of the film is his director's cut, that hasn't stopped rabid fans from clamoring all weekend for a potential Ultimate Cut. 

Academy Award-winning star Jared Leto, who received second billing on the film, has easily been the most vocal member of the cast on the matter, recently expressing his dissatisfaction with having almost all of his scenes as the Joker cut from the final version and now, we may have a small beat on why WB changed course, thanks to reddit user Naydawwwg, who has seemingly come across a list of all the rumored deleted and/or altered scenes from Suicide Squad.

As far as we know, the list is an unofficial compilation, but if it is indeed an accurate representation of what was taken out, it sounds like the original cut may not have fared much better with critics and/or with audiences as it seems to have emphasized the nastier, more criminal, and downright despicable elements of each member of the Squad, save for Deadshot. The deleted scenes also, as expected feature a lot more Joker, and expand on his dark relationship with Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn, which was originally depicted as a more psychologically abusive, borderline torturous dynamic versus the twisted love story seen in theaters.

It'd be best to consider everything listed below as a rumor for the time being, but it does sound fairly spot-on with everything reported and seen in trailers prior to the film's release. Check it out:

• In early cuts, the movie's opening detailed June Moone's posession by Enchantress in real time. Reshoots reshuffled the scene to be later in the movie in flashback form in favor of a new opening centered on Deadshot.
  
  
• Deadshot in the prison cell, watching the rain fall and thinking about his daughter.
  
  
• El Diablo observing the flame of a lit match, before putting it out due to his vow to no longer use his powers.
  
  
• El Diablo being escorted to a training center by being placed in a tube that fills with water to quel his flames, and then unceremoniously dropped onto the ground.
  
  
• Early interviews mentioned Captain Boomerang's racism and sexism, but the movie is light on examples of such behavior, which have apparently been deleted. Most of them were reportedly directed at Katana, to whom Boomerang is attracted to.
  
  
  
• Early reports indicated more backstory for Killer Croc, revealing that he lived his entire life as a social outcast due to his physical deformities and has convinced himself that he is beautiful in his own way. Croc crossed paths with Batman while working as muscle-for-hire for numerous Gotham's crime bosses, while secretly planning to take over one day. There were also scenes displaying his affinity for making sculptures out of discarded materials. Aside from jokes about Croc viewing himself as 'beautiful,' one of these were retained in the final cut.
  
  
  
• Also deleted was a scene where he (Croc) becomes sick at the helicopter escort to Midway City, throws up half-digested pieces of goat, and then eats them again, disgusting the nearby Navy Seals.
  
  
  
• Early cuts reportedly included a passing reference to Slipknot being serial rapist, likely to further paint him as unsympathetic to the audience ahead of his own death.
  
  
• More scenes of Rick Flag and June Moone's romantic relationship, including him reading the files of the Suicide Squad recruits after Waller delivers them to him.
  
  
• Another scene where Flag and Moone are out on a date.
  
  
• Extended scene of Joker interrogating Captain Griggs, including the line, "I can't wait to show you my toys," which was in every trailer, but was removed from the movie.
  
• Joker and his men escaping after shooting up a restaurant. Harley, who is already affiliated with the Joker, follows them on a motorcycle and intercepts their car. Joker bangs his head against the glass in frustration.
  
  
• Joker and Harley then get into a fight, which ends with Harley pointing a gun at Joker's head. Joker sweet-talks Harley into lowering the gun, charming her, then backhands her across the face. Afterwards he sweet-talks her again and they kiss.
  
  
• Extended Ace Chemicals scene where Harley jumps into the chemicals. More bits of dialogue by the Joker.
  
  
• Extended Batmobile chase scene with more interaction between Joker and Harley. One of the examples, presented in all the trailers, is the Joker punching the roof of his car.
  
  
• Harley using her baseball bat as a mock gun to play shoot at invisible foes.
  
  
• Extended scene of Joker breaking into the nanobomb manufacture facility to arrange for Harley's neck-bomb to be disabled.
  
  
• More interactions between Harley and Boomerang. Early cuts apparently included her really disliking him despite growing affectionate to all other members of the squad.
  
  
• Extended bar scene with Harley taking everyone's orders. Deadshot calls for a shot, Katana wants whiskey, Croc and Boomerang settle for beer, Harley asks Diablo wants and he prefers water which she jokes, is "a good idea." The scene was featured in the trailers, but in the movie it cuts directly to Deadshot's speech about them almost pulling the mission off.
  
  
• Removed several scenes with the Joker to repaint his relationship with Harley as more loving rather than abusive.
  
  
• Joker and Harley get into an argument after he rescues her in the hijacked helicopter. In early cuts he reportedly pushes her out to kill her, then the helicopter gets shot down. This was apparently reworked into the helicopter getting shot down first and Joker pushing her out to save her.
  
  
• Joker returns during the final battle in the subway station, face half-burnt from the helicopter crash, which apparently leads to a brief altercation with the Suicide Squad. He calls for Harley to escape with him but she refuses for once in order to help her friends, and the Joker escapes after throwing a live grenade at the group to cover his own escape.
  
  

*The deleted scenes also, as expected feature a lot more Joker, and expand on his dark relationship with Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn, which was originally depicted as a more psychologically abusive, borderline torturous dynamic versus the twisted love story seen in theaters.

*Removed several scenes with the Joker to repaint his relationship with Harley as more loving rather than abusive.

*Joker and Harley get into an argument after he rescues her in the hijacked helicopter. In early cuts he reportedly pushes her out to kill her, then the helicopter gets shot down. This was apparently reworked into the helicopter getting shot down first and Joker pushing her out to save her.

UltimateMarvel wrote:Damn! That's the Joker I was looking forward to seeing. Put those scenes back dammit!

UltimateMarvel wrote:

WyldeMan wrote:Changing the dynamic between Mr J and Harley changes a lot. His abuse and brainwashing was what turned the very stable Dr Harleen Quinzel into Harley Quinn. If you erase how she suffered at his hands then that changes everything about the way they interact with each other and I want to know how they explained Quinzel to Quinn if they took this away. So what, she was a therapist who just went crazy for no apparent reason and murdered Jason Todd?  

I can't imagine how bad the pacing must be either, there better be an Extended Cut.

It doesn't make sense. That Jason Todd bit makes no sense by the way. Again screwing Joker over.