Update: November 18, 2016
It's Official: JOHN WICK's David Leitch is the New Director of DEADPOOL 2
David Leitch, one half of the directing and stunt team behind the
John Wick movies, has closed a deal to direct Fox’s
Deadpool 2.
The development occurs just weeks after Fox lost Tim Miller as the director to the X-Men spin-off sequel. Miller, who was an integral part of the first movie, which opened in February this year, exited the project over "creative differences" with star Ryan Reynolds.
Leitch's name surfaced just days after Miller's exit, although the producers and studio had filmmakers such as Rupert Sanders, Drew Goddard and Magnus Martens on their to-meet list. Leitch met with Reynolds in New York and was offered the gig soon after.
At the same time, Fox and the producers are also putting into motion
Deadpool 3 and will be searching for a separate filmmaker to tackle that installment.
Leitch is well versed in action movie parlance. He made his directorial debut co-directing
Wick, the Keanu Reeves revenge thriller, with Chad Stahelski. Before that, however, he and Stahelski spent years as stunt coordinators and second unit directors, creating a stunt company named 87eleven.
He recently wrapped filming on his second feature,
The Coldest City, a Cold War thriller starring Charlize Theron.
It's Official: 'John Wick' Director David Leitch to Helm 'Deadpool 2'