David Leitch Signs On To Direct Deadpool 2
John Wick co-director David Leitch has been selected by 20th Century Fox to direct Deadpool 2 following the departure of Tim Miller from the superhero sequel.
The decision marks the next step in Leitch’s transition from supporting player to a full-fledged director. Having worked in various capacities as a stuntman and second-unit director, John Wick was his 2014 debut as a director and he is slated to follow it up with the upcoming The Coldest City:
A report from THR notes that Leitch secured the gig after meeting with franchise star Ryan Reynolds, and that Fox is looking for a different director to helm a third “Deadpool” film, which is already in motion.
Fans and industry observers alike were surprised when news broke last month that Miller had left the “Deadpool” sequel, reportedly due to creative differences with Reynolds. Miller was long associated with the first film, which took years in development to get made — and became a major box office hit upon its release this past February, earning $782.6 million off of a reported $58 million production budget.
“Deadpool,” based on the Marvel mercenary created by Rob Liefeld and Fabian Nicieza, is the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time; along with the highest-grossing X-Men film of all time, surpassing more conventional comic book fare like 2014’s “X-Men: Days of Future Past.”
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