The phrase “left due to creative differences” gets thrown around a lot in the film industry. We recently saw how much of an impact it has when Phil Lord and Chris Miller left the untitled Han Solo film.
And it’s not the last time we will ever hear the phrase.

Case in point, Suicide Squad director David Ayer, who is walking away from the Scarface remake for that very reason. More on the story below.

Ayer isn’t the first to leave the project. David Yates (Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts); Antoine Fuqua, who directed Training Day (written by Ayer) and The Magnificent Seven remake; David Mackenzie (Hell or High Water, Perfect Sense); and Peter Berg (Lone Survivor, Patriots Day) were all attached or circling the project at one point in time.

Now a search for a new director begins. An insider close to the project tells THR that Scarface is “the holy grail of contemporary gangster movies.” So it seems a little bit strange that Universal and Ayer would be divided over the tone of the film. Given that Ayer’s films bring the audiences close to the action – see End of Watch if you need an example – it probably would have been the grittiest interpretation of the source material.

The original 1932 Scarface was loosely based on the rise and fall of Al Capone, one of America’s most notorious gangsters. However, most recognize is the 1983 film directed by Brian De Palma and starring Al Pacino, who famously coined the phrase “Say hello to my little friend.” However, this version would have had Diego Luna playing a Los Angeles-based gangster.

Ayer’s next projects include Netflix’s Bright, starring his Suicide Squad co-star Will Smith; and Gotham City Sirens, starring another Suicide Squad co-star Margot Robbie reprising her role as Harley Quinn.

It’s not clear where the film goes from here, or if it will stick with its current August 10, 2018, release date. But we’ll keep you posted on any development surrounding the film.

[Source: THR]