Suicide Squad

Suicide Squad is a 2021 American superhero film based on the DC Comics team Suicide Squad. Produced by DC Films, Atlas Entertainment, and Safran Company and Warner Bros. Distributed by Pictures, it is a standalone sequel to Suicide Squad (2016) and the tenth film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). The film was written and directed by James Gunn and stars Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena, Joel Kinnaman, Sylvester Stallone, Viola Davis, David Dastmalchian, Daniela Melchior, Michael Rooker, Jai Courtney, Peter Capaldi, Alice Braga, among others. , and Pete Davidson. In the film, several convicts join a task force known as the “Suicide Squad” in exchange for lighter sentences. They are sent to the South American island nation of Corto Malta to destroy all traces of the giant alien starfish Staro the Conqueror before it comes under the control of the local government.

David Ayer was set to return as director for a Suicide Squad sequel by March 2016, but decided to work on other projects in December. Warner Bros. considered several replacements before hiring Gavin O’Connor in September 2017. He left due to creative differences, and Gunn was hired to write and direct the film in October 2018 after being temporarily fired as director of Guardians by Disney and Marvel Studios. Galaxy Volume 3 (2023). He drew inspiration from war films and John Ostrander’s 1980s Suicide Squad comics, and explored new characters in a story different from the narrative of the first film, although some cast members returned from Suicide Squad. Filming took place from September 2019 to February 2020, primarily in Atlanta, Georgia, as well as in Colon, Panama, and Porto, Portugal. The film had the largest set ever made for a Warner Bros. production.

The Suicide Squad premiered in UK theaters on July 30, 2021. It was released in the United States on August 5 simultaneously in theaters and on the streaming service HBO Max. The film received positive reviews from critics and became the most streamed DCEU film on HBO Max, although it bombed at the box office after grossing just $169 million worldwide against a production budget of $185 million. Its box office performance was attributed to the Covid-19 pandemic, the film’s availability on HBO Max, and its association with the first Suicide Squad. Peacemaker, a spin-off television series starring Cena, debuts on HBO Max in January 2022. Two more spin-off series including Waller are being developed for Max.

Details

Intelligence officer Amanda Waller assembles two Task Force X teams, colloquially called the “Suicide Squad”, consisting of Belle Reve Penitentiary inmates who agree to carry out a mission in exchange for shorter sentences. Neither party is aware of the other’s existence. Sent to the South American island nation of Corto Malta after the overthrow of an anti-American ruling government, the teams are tasked with destroying the Nazi-era laboratory Ztunheim, which houses secret experiments called “Project Starfish”. Corto almost completely wipes out a group after the Maltese military lands, but the group’s leaders, Colonel Rick Flagg and Harley Quinn, survive. The ambush on the first team acts as a diversion, allowing the second team to enter the country undetected. Led by the assassin Bloodsport, who Waller blackmailed into dropping his estranged daughter Tyler’s trial, the team also includes Peacemaker, King Shark, Polka-Dot Man and Ratcatcher 2.

Waller orders the squad to find Flag, who has escaped from the military but is captured by rebel soldiers. The team finds the rebel base and massacres the soldiers, only to learn that the rebel leader Sol Soria protected the flag. Despite the group’s actions, Soria agrees to help them infiltrate the capital, where they capture Project Starfish’s lead scientist, Thinker. Harley is captured by the Corto Maltese government and taken to the new dictator Silvio Luna, who wants to marry her. After learning of Luna’s plan to use Project Starfish on political dissidents, Harley kills her and flees. He joins the others, who use the Thinker to break into Jatunheim and begin rigging it with explosives.

Flagg and Ratcatcher 2 enter the Project Starfish laboratory with the Thinker and find Starro the Conqueror, a giant starfish-like alien that creates smaller versions of itself to kill people and control their bodies. The Thinker explains that Staro was brought to Earth by the United States government, which has secretly funded experiments using Corto Maltese citizens as test subjects for decades. An enraged Flag decides to leak a hard drive containing its evidence but is killed by Peacemaker, who is under Waller’s orders to cover up US involvement. Meanwhile, Polka-Dot Man accidentally sets off the explosives prematurely as the rest of the team and the military clash. As Jötunheim crumbles, the drive is taken over by Ratcatcher 2. Peacemaker tries to execute Starro to find out the truth about him, but Bloodsport shoots him and drives away.

Starro escapes from the destroyed Jtunheim, brutally kills the Thinker and most of the military, and begins to control the island’s population. Waller tells the squad that their mission is complete and orders them to leave, but Bloodsport decides to lead the team into a fight with Starro. Waller tries to execute them for this, but is overpowered by his subordinates. After Starro kills the Polka-Dot Man, Harley pokes a hole in his eye, causing Ratcatcher 2 to summon the city’s rats to chew Starro out from the inside. After removing the military, Soria took control of the government and promised democratic elections. Bloodsport forces Waller to release him and the surviving squad members and withdraw Tyler’s charges in exchange for the contents of the drive being secret, and they are airlifted from Corto Maltese.

In a mid-credits scene, it is revealed that Weasel, one of the first members of the team who was believed to be dead after drowning during the team’s airdrop, is still alive, having survived the drowning. In a post-credits scene, Waller punishes his subordinates on a new mission with Peacemaker, who is recuperating in a hospital.

Cast and characters

Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn:
A criminal lunatic and former psychiatrist. Robbie said that the film will show a new side of the character compared to his previous DC Extended Universe (DCEU) appearances as he is in a new place and surrounded by new characters. Despite inheriting this version of Harley from previous films, writer/director James Gunn loved the character and felt very comfortable writing for her. He wanted her to be “the most Harley of all the Harleys” portrayed in the film,[6] including making “healthy” choices, following her toxic relationship with the Joker, which other people would consider crazy. He compared Harley’s relationship with Bloodsport to comedy duo Abbott and Costello, Harley Costello.
Idris Elba as Robert Dubois/Bloodsport:
A mercenary with a technologically advanced suit that he can use to create various gadgets and transformative weapons (an adaptation of the comic book character’s ability to manifest weapons). After being convicted of shooting Superman with a kryptonite bullet, Bloodsport commutes his prison sentence by joining Task Force X so he can help his daughter Tyla. Gunn said that each member of the film’s Suicide Squad was inspired by a different film genre, and described Bloodsport as an unsentimental portrait of 1960s action heroes such as Steve McQueen, without the “moral repercussions”. The character’s story in the film takes him “from a poisonous donkey to a true leader”.
John Cena as Christopher Smith/Peacemaker:
A ruthless, jingoistic killer who believes in achieving peace at any cost. Gunn told Cena not to read any Peacemaker comics before filming, and Cena originally played an “angular, drill sergeant, Full Metal Jacket-esque personality” before Gunn asked him to act like a “duchy, bro-y Captain America”. Who could have appeared in 1970s television series like Wonder Woman. The character does not get as much exploration or development as the other members of the Suicide Squad, which is one of the reasons why Gunn decided to create the spin-off television series Peacemaker even though he originally intended for the character’s apparent death in the film. Must be permanent.
Joel Kinnaman as Colonel Rick Flagg:
Field leader of Suicide Squad. According to Gunn, Flagg is the character that has changed the most since the first Suicide Squad (2016), with Kinnaman describing this version as savvier, less pretentious, more goofy and funnier. Gunn said Kinnaman was not used to comedy but “quickly showed a talent and an affinity” for it. Flagg begins the film with the Suicide Squad team sent by Amanda Waller as cheating, and a deleted scene will explain that she did it because he was making fun of an ugly shirt she was wearing. Gunn said Flag took advantage and grew sick of bad things, which led to him disobeying Waller and being killed by Peacemaker.
Sylvester Stallone in the voice of Nanau / King Shark:
A man-eating shark-human hybrid, made with visual effects. Gunn’s longtime friend Steve Agee created King Shark’s portrayal on set. He was chosen in part because he is 6 feet 7 inches (2.01 m) and wore a wireframe version of a shark’s head and a body suit to more closely approximate the character’s size and shape. Gun King wanted the underlying story for Shark to explore his loneliness as someone who wants to be part of the world and connect with other people, but is unable to because of his appearance. This can be seen in moments where she pretends to read or stares out the window at a couple together.
Viola Davis as Amanda Waller:
Director of A.R.G.U.S who runs the Task Force X program. Gunn said Waller, along with the US government, is the true villain of the film, which explores the various reactions to the Suicide Squad asking him to cover up illegal experiments in Corto Malta. She added that there was “no better Amanda Waller” than Davis, and said she was “incredibly intimidating” portraying the character.
David Dastmalchian as Abner Creel/Polka-Dot Man:
An “experiment gone wrong” in a suit covered in polka dots. Gunn described the Polka-Dot Man as “the dumbest DC character of all time” who he hoped to turn into a tragic figure, a superhero. The virus develops into colored balls of acid under Krill’s skin that cause him pain unless he expels them as polka-dot weapons or vomits them out. Unbeknownst to Gunn, Dastmalchian felt a personal connection to the character because he has vitiligo of the skin, for which he was bullied as a child and called “polka dots”.
Daniela Melchior as Cleo Kazo / Ratcatcher 2:
A thief who receives the mantle of “Ratcatcher” from his father, helps him control and communicate with rats. Gunn described him as “the heart of the film”, and noted that he is different from the other characters because he grew up loving his father while the other characters had troubled relationships with their parents. Gunn explained that the moment at the end of the film where Ratcatcher 2 covers the bloodsport to protect him from rats indicates that he is able to share his father’s love with him, which is why the moment intercuts with a flashback of him sitting with his father.
Michael Rooker as Brian Darlin / Savant: A hand-to-hand combat and weapons expert. He is killed in the opening scene when Waller detonates a bomb in his head to force him to abandon the mission.
Joy Courtney as Digger Harkness/Captain Boomerang: An Australian thief who wields a boomerang. Courtney said that the character was “the same scrappy liability” she was in the first film.
Peter Capaldi as Gaius Greaves / The Thinker: Chief Scientist of Project Starfish,
Alice Braga as Sol Soria: Corto is the leader of a Maltese rebel group who aligns himself with the Suicide Squad.
Pete Davidson as Richard “Dick” Hartz / Blackguard: An easily manipulated mercenary. He betrays the first suicide squad team to the Corto Maltese military, who kill him.
In addition to playing King Shark on set, Steve Agee plays John Economos, an A.R.G.U.S. agent who is an associate of Waller. Waller’s other associates include Jennifer Holland as Emilia Harcourt and Tinashe Kazes as Flo Crowley, the accomplice who knocks out Amanda Waller before the squad executes and is later arrested in Peacemaker. The ill-fated first Suicide Squad team included Savant, Captain Boomerang and Blackguard as well as Nathan Fillion as Corey Pitzner/TDK. (Detachable Kid), a metahuman who can detach his arms from his body; Flula Borg as Gunter Braun / Javelin, a former Olympic athlete who wields a javelin as a weapon; Meling Ng as Mars, an alien mass murderer; and Sean Gunn as Weasel, an anthropomorphic weasel whose portrayal is based on Bill the Cat from the comic strip Bloom County. James Gunn said Weasel was “more than an animal” which raised some ethical questions about his involvement in the squad.

The film also stars Juan Diego Botto as President General Silvio Luna, the Corto Maltese dictator who tries to seduce Harley Quinn; Julio Ruiz as Milton, an associate of Task Force X; Lynn Ashe as Polka-Dot Man’s Mom; In addition to Weasel, Sean Gunn also portrays the Calendar Man, one of several DC villains who appear as Belle Rave inmates. Others include Natalia Safran as Kaleidoscope and Jared Leland Gore as Double Down. John Ostrander, creator of the 1980s Suicide Squad team, who influenced the film, has a cameo as Dr. Fitzgibbon, with Stephen Blackheart as Pilot Briscoe, and Lloyd Kaufman in both. Song’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. Ratcatcher 2’s pet rat Sebastian is voiced by Dee Bradley Baker and portrayed on set by rats named Joss and Crisp Rat.

Box Office

Suicide Squad grossed $55.8 million in the United States and Canada and $112.9 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $168.7 million, against a production budget of $185 million.

In the United States and Canada, the film earned $12.2 million on its first day, including $4.1 million from Thursday night previews, the first day for an R-rated film during the pandemic. It contributed $26.2 million (47.0% of the total) to the film’s opening weekend, the largest for an R-rated film during the pandemic. Despite the Pandemic-era record, the film fell short of Warner Bros. and opening industry estimates of $30 million, estimates that were themselves considered low and closer to the underperforming Bird than the successful first Suicide Squad. The film dropped 72% in its second weekend, finishing fifth with just $7.5 million. This drop is seen in the second weekend of other films releasing simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max, such as Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021). It fell 55% in its third weekend, grossing $3.4 million, before crossing $50 million with an additional $2 million in its fourth weekend.

A week before its domestic release, the film grossed $6.7 million from five countries, including $4.5 million in the UK and $1.6 million in France. Suicide Squad expanded to 69 countries, covering all major markets except Japan, in its second week of international release. It grossed $35 million, ranking first in Russia ($4.2 million), Mexico ($2 million), Brazil ($1.4 million), Spain ($1.3 million), and Italy ($1 million) and only among the markets in which it opened. 25% decrease in the previous week. Even when taking into account pandemic limited theaters in regions like Italy, Australia, Mexico and Southeast Asia, weekend grosses fell short of expectations. The film opened at number one in Japan the following week with $1.9 million, held the number one position in Brazil and also moved to number one in Australia. Overall, the weekend total was $17 million, down 50% from the previous week and behind new release Free Guy in many markets. The film added $8.7 million in its fourth international weekend,[186] before surpassing $100 million internationally with an additional $4.6 million the following week. The United Kingdom, Russia, France, Germany, and Mexico were the leading markets for the film outside of the United States and Canada.

The film’s underperformance at the box office was generally attributed to its release during the Covid-19 pandemic, the fact that it was also available for streaming on HBO Max alongside its theatrical release, piracy allowed by the streaming release, the R-rating which limited younger audiences, the first The poor reception to Suicide Squad, the lack of bankable stars like Will Smith, and general audience confusion over its relationship to the first film due to their similar titles. Anthony D’Alessandro of Deadline Hollywood felt that HBO Max availability and sentiment about the first film outweighed the impact of the pandemic, and noted that other films have made significantly more money at the box office in recent weeks. Writing for Forbes, Scott Mendelson singled out the lack of stars, opining that general audiences would not know about Gunn and his involvement and would instead view the film as a sequel without the main draw of the first film, such as Smith. Mendelsohn added that the film’s $185 million budget was an “absurd amount to spend” on an R-rated film and significantly more than what had been spent on previous R-rated superhero films. He said the film needed a “best-case-scenario box office” just to break even with that budget, and that didn’t happen.

About

Directed by	James Gunn
Written by	James Gunn
Based on	Characters from DC
Produced by	·         Charles Roven ·         Peter Safran
Starring	·         Margot Robbie ·         Idris Elba ·         John Cena ·         Joel Kinnaman ·         Sylvester Stallone ·         Viola Davis ·         Jai Courtney ·         Peter Capaldi
Cinematography	Henry Braham
Edited by	·         Fred Raskin ·         Christian Wagner
Music by	John Murphy
Production companies	·         DC Films ·         Atlas Entertainment ·         The Safran Company
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Pictures
Release dates	·         July 30, 2021 (United Kingdom) ·         August 5, 2021 (United States)
Running time	132 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$185 million
Box office	$168.7 million

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