“It’s a great script and a great property,” an enthusiastic Robert Rodriguez told The Los Angeles Times when asked about the draft of Deadpool from Zombieland scribes Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. The project, which is still slated to star Ryan Reynolds as the “merc with a mouth,” has been on and off the backburners at Fox ever since X-Men Origins: Wolverine released at the beginning of last summer. One thing standing in its way: Ryan Reynolds is a hot commodity. He’s just wrapped shooting on Green Lantern for Warner Bros., where the studio is already developing not one, but two sequels. But while Reynolds is not only wrapped up in Lantern, but about a half-dozen other projects, the likes of Rodriguez does present an interesting proposition.
“I’m just working everything out,” Rodriguez told Hero Complex. He said that he’s still debating what his next project will be now that Machete, a film he co-directed with Ethan Maniquis, is ready for public consumption. On his docket: another Spy Kids joint, that long-awaited Sin City 2 thingy, a trip to the far-future with Nerveracker, or even another Predators film, should Fox decide they want one. As always, Rodriguez’s options are open and his decision making process is a slow one. Thankfully, he shoots and cuts his movies quickly. It all balances out.
As for Ryan Reynolds, Deadpool seems to be the last thing on his mind. While Fox scrambles to lock down a director, their would-be star has recently joined up with the production of Safe House, starring Denzel Washington. Deadline reports hat Reynolds is in talks to play a young CIA agent who must transport a dangerous criminal (Washington) to safety after both are attacked at a safe house. It’s a quality project with some pop-potential. Word is that the script reads well, and the two characters are played well together (in survival) and against each other. Reynolds’ name slipped to the top of a short list that also include Chris Pine, Shia LaBeouf, James McAvoy and Tom Hardy.
Nothing like a little chess match thriller opposite Denzel Washington to help us forget about that Deadpool movie, eh? It raises the question: is a Deadpool movie even something interesting at this point, with Reynolds having moved on to Green Lantern and a smattering of other cool projects? With Rodriguez, I say yes. Without Rodriguez (or someone like him), the answer leans quickly in the opposite direction. Here’s hoping it happens, as I’d love to see the Reese/Wernick version of Deadpool come to life.
Related Topics: Deadpool
