Jaume Collet-Serra, who directed the shark thriller The Shallows, has emerged as the frontrunner to helm Warner Bros.' Suicide Squad 2.

The studio is eyeing a mid-2018 start for the sequel to its 2016 action movie that grossed $745.6 million worldwide.

Warners initially circled Mel Gibson to direct the project, but script delays pushed the production start and Gibson moved on.

Sources say the studio recently received a new treatment written by Zak Penn (Avengers, Ready Player One) and that a new script will now be written.

Source: Press Release