FilmmakerDavid Ayerhas begun production on his next film, and he’s marking the occasion with a first look at his leading men. While theSuicide Squaddirector is signed on to helma sequelto his Netflix fantasy blockbusterBright, he’s first heading back to the gritty crime thriller genre where he made his mark. Ayer wrote and is directingTax Collector, which starsBobby Soto(Brothers & Sisters) andShia LaBeoufas… well we don’t exactly know. Plot details are being kept under wraps, and indeed we only first learned of the existence of this indielast month, and now cameras are rolling.
Cross Creek Pictures and Ayer andChris Long’s Cedar Park Entertainment are co-producing the thriller, which marks a break from the studio system for Ayer. He first made waves as the screenwriter ofTraining Daybefore directing his own screenplays with gritty thrillers likeHarsh Times,Street Kings, andEnd of Watch. Ayer made the step up to a big studio movie with 2014’s World War II actionerFury, which directly led to him landing the gig writing and directing the DCEU hitSuicide Squad.
Ayer is not returning to direct theSuicide Squadsequel and while he’s been attached to aGotham City Sirensmovie, there’s been no forward momentum on that one either. Instead. Ayer made Netflix’s first original blockbuster inBright, which was apparently a success as the streaming service quickly greenlit a sequel that will seeWill SmithandJoel Edgertonreturning. Ayer wrote the initial draft butEvan Spiliotopoulos(The Huntsman: Winter’s War) is currently working on theBright 2script while Ayer makesThe Tax Collector.
This new film reunites Ayer with LaBeouf after working together onFury, and indeed LaBeouf is coming off starring in his autobiographical filmHoney Boyas his own father. No release date is yet set forTax Collector, but we’ll see if Ayer continues to provide photo updates as production progresses. For now, check out the cast photo below.
