"John Wick" filmmaker David Leitch is confirmed to direct for "Deadpool 2," less than a month after Tim Miller dropped out due to creative differences with the lead Ryan Reynolds. He has officially closed his deal.
According to Variety, Leitch had emerged as the leading candidate to direct "Deadpool 2" after Miller departed on Oct. 22. Miller's exit came as a surprise as he had been in the process of developing the script and was widely expected to return.
Leitch beat out a host of competitors for "Deadpool 2" that included the likes of Drew Goddard and Magnus Martens, Deadline reported. There are unconfirmed reports suggest that Miller and Reynolds parted ways over the tone and scale of the sequel. Rumors say that Reynolds preferred to stick with the R-rated, lower-budget approach to the first installment.
To recall, Fox had announced at CinemaCon in April that Reynolds would be back, as well as Miller. The original film "Deadpool" gave Fox its biggest hit of 2016 after opening on Valentine's Day. It was made for $58 million and wound up with $782.6 million worldwide, to become the highest-grossing R-rated film in history.
Leitch's experience on "John Wick" makes him a good fit on "Deadpool 2." The Keanu Reeves-starring neo-noir action pic went on to earn $86 million on a $20 million budget but became an instant cult favorite. "John Wick: Chapter 2" directed by Chad Stahelski hits theaters on Feb. 10, 2017.
Leitch spent more than 20 years as a stunt coordinator and stuntman. He made his directorial debut co-helming "John Wick" with Stahelski, working as second unit directors as well. He also directed the Charlize Theron spy thriller "The Coldest City," due in theaters on July 28.
Most of the creative team had been set to return for "Deadpool 2." Fox Film chief Stacey Snider also confirmed at CinemaCon that screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick would be back to handle script duties.
Fox has not officially set a release date for "Deadpool 2" and is rumored to start developing on a third "Deadpool" movie.
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