‘Deadpool 2’: ‘John Wick’s’ David Leitch Emerges as Frontrunner To Helm Sequel
Tim Miller’s superhero film “Deadpool,” starring Ryan Reynolds as the title antihero, has grossed over $782 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing R-rated film ever and one of the highest grossing films of the year. This past April, Fox confirmed a sequel has been greenlit with Miller, Reynolds, and screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick are set to return. However, Miller recently dropped out of the film over creative differences with Reynolds, and thus the studio is shopping around for a new director. Now, Variety reports that, while the deal has not closed yet, “John Wick” co-director David Leitch has emerged as the frontrunner to helm the sequel.
READ MORE: ‘Deadpool 2’: Fans Petition Quentin Tarantino to Direct the Sequel
Leitch is primarily known for his stunt work in “The Matrix Revolutions,” “V For Vendetta,” “The Bourne Ultimatum” and more. He has also worked as a second unit director on recent films like “Jurassic World” and “Captain America: Civil War.” In 2014, he garnered widespread acclaim for co-directing the action film “John Wick” with Chad Stahelski. The film starred Keanu Reeves as a former assassin pulled out of retirement to hunt down a group of gangsters who wronged him.
“John Wick: Chapter 2” will be directed by Stahelski alone. It will be released on February 10, 2017.
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