The Big Picture
- David Ayer believes that his original vision for Suicide Squad was significantly better than the final product that was released in theaters.
- Despite the critical reception of the film, Ayer believes that the audience recognized and connected with what he was trying to do, as evidenced by the film’s financial success, grossing over $746 million worldwide.
- Ayer asserts that his director’s cut of Suicide Squad is one of the best comic book movies ever, but acknowledges that fans will likely not get the chance to see it.
Eight years on from David Ayer‘s Suicide Squad, the discourse continues among DC and movie fans over the much-maligned movie, particular as Ayer himself has been vocally outspoken about the final product that was released in theaters. Ayer has been vocal about his dissatisfaction with the theatrical version of the film, criticizing it for being heavily edited and asserting that it was “ripped to pieces.” He remains firm in his belief that his initial concept for the 2016 movie was significantly better than the final product that was shown to audiences.
Speaking with Collider’s Steve Weintraub at a special screening of his new film, The Beekeeper — an action film starring Jason Statham — Weintraub took the opportunity to ask Ayer about his vision for Suicide Squad, and why he feels so strongly about having his original take on the movie removed from him. Ayer also elaborated by saying he’d made a “war movie” and DC countered by saying they wanted a “DC movie”.
It’s part of my history. It is what it is. I would have shut up about it a long time ago if my cut was like, “Oh, it’s a tweaky thing. This scene is 30 seconds different,” or, “We used different takes,” or, “There’s a scene I cut.” People don’t understand how plastic film is, how you can come to two totally opposite results with the same medium as photographed. So, I mean, I’m coming off of Fury. I basically made a war movie in the DC space. So I made a David Ayer movie, and DC’s like, “Well, we want a DC movie.” And the results are what we got.
David Ayer Believes He Made One of the Best Comic Book Movies Ever
Ayer continued by saying that he felt the audience recognised what he was trying to do in the film, which is why they were drawn to seeing it. And the film was met with financial success, proof that fans wanted to see what Ayer and his cast were up to, but the critical view of the film was wildly different. The film achieved significant commercial success, grossing over $746 million worldwide. This impressive figure marked a combination of $325.1 million in domestic earnings and $424.1 million from international markets. Ayer asserts that, had he had his own way, the film would be talked about in the most glowing of terms.
“The DNA and the character and the sense of place and the visuals were so strong in it that people intuitively connected to it,” said Ayer. “It was ridiculously freaking successful, but there’s a vastly, vastly better version. I mean, I’m just gonna say it, I made one of the best comic movies ever made, and it got the guts ripped out of it.”
Ayer added that the “vastly better” cut of the film was his director’s cut, and that fans had the right to see it, but it would be out of his control if they ever actually got the chance to lay their eyes on it.
“That’s the director’s cut. You guys deserve to see it, but it ain’t my property. It ain’t my ID. Warner Bros. control it.”
The original cut of Suicide Squad is available to stream now on Max. The Beekeeper opens in theaters on January 12. Look for our full conversation with David Ayer soon.
Suicide Squad
A secret government agency recruits some of the most dangerous incarcerated super-villains to form a defensive task force. Their first mission: save the world from the apocalypse.
- Release Date
- August 5, 2016
- Rating
- PG-13
- Runtime
- 123 minutes
