David Ayer No Longer Attached To Scarface, Still Helming Gotham City Sirens

Director David Ayer is leaving Universal Studios’ “Scarface” remake. But while the studio looks for a new director for the remake, Ayer will still be attached to his “Suicide Squad” spinoff, “Gotham City Sirens.”

“Scarface” follows the violent and sensational story of the rise and fall of Cuban gangster Tony Montana (Al Pacino). It was produced in many iterations before Biran De Palma’s 1983 version. The current plan for a “Scarface” remake has had a rocky development process, as Ayer isn’t the first director to leave the project. Antoine Fuqua (Equalizer, Training Day) had to let go of the project due to scheduling issues, and other prospective directors have been unsuccessfully negotiated with, including David MacKenzie (Hell or High Water) and Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights).

Al Pacino in Scarface (1983). Photo via Universal Studios

Two Sides Of The Coin: David Ayer’s Departure From ‘Scarface’ Explained

From the get-go, Ayer seemed like the perfect fit for a modern version of “Scarface.” However, according to The Hollywood Reporter, the studio found Ayer’s treatment to be too dark, and so both parties decided to part ways. In another report by Variety, the reason why Ayer left was also due to scheduling issues, and so the split was an obvious thing. Despite these, Diego Luna is still starring as Tony Montana albeit the production being stuck in development yet again.

All things considered, Ayer has a lot on his plate aside from the “Scarface” remake. The “Suicide Squad” director is currently in post-production for his Will Smith-led and Netflix-produced fantasy film, “Bright.” The movie tells the story of the world where humans and mythical beings coexist with each other. It will hit the streaming service’s catalog in December.

Will Smith and David Ayer in Suicide Squad (2016). Photo by Clay Enos/Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc./Ratpac-Dune Entertainment LLC/Ratpac Entertainment, LLC

Ayer is also continuing his DC Extended Universe tenure. While not attached to the “Suicide Squad” sequel, the director is currently working on its sequel, tentatively titled “Gotham City Sirens.” We know not much about the upcoming film, but what we do know is that it will feature some of DC’s more prominent female characters, led by Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn. Earlier reports suggest that Ayer is drawing references from the comic of the same name that features not just Harley, but also Catwoman and Poison Ivy.

Hopefully, Ayer’s take on “Gotham City Sirens” would be far better than the critically-maligned “Suicide Squad.” As for Universal’s “Scarface,” the hunt for a new director is of course underway (again).