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Home , Kevin Costner, Paul Wernick, Ryan Reynolds, Simon Kinberg

EW

03 04

2016

NEXT UP FOR ’S LIVE WIRE What’s in the pipeline for the box office bigwig WELCOME TO THE RENAISSANCE Deadpool’s wild success has catapulted its hardworking to new Hollywood heights. By Joe McGovern CRIMINAL In this thriller (out April 15), Reynolds THE FIRST TIME Ryan Reynolds unknown to mainstream audiences. “Ryan plays a CIA agent whose memories attempted to carry a superhero was born to play Deadpool,” says the ’s are implanted into movie, it didn’t go well. Green co-writer Rhett Reese. “But I think Deadpool a dangerous felon Lantern (2011) arrived as a big-budget bomb, was also born to play Ryan.” (). one that effectively torpedoed its star’s tights- The character’s brash, bratty humor does HITMAN’S wearing credentials and called into question seem to dovetail with Reynolds’ own—in a BODYGUARD his headliner bona fides. Despite obvious 2011 EW article, the actor recalled arriving in Reynolds is hired to talent, loads of charm, and abs so defined you Hollywood “armed with only $600 and a rape protect an assassin (Samuel L. Jackson) could play sudoku on them, Reynolds never whistle.” Kinberg likens Reynolds to Cary in this action pic, managed to become a full-fledged A-lister. Grant for his “incredible ironic presence.” which starts filming Then came Deadpool. Adds co-writer : “Being able to in in April. The raunchy adventure starring the laugh at himself is one of Ryan’s greatest gifts.” charismatic Canadian as an unhinged Although Deadpool appeared on screen motormouth in red spandex opened to before—Reynolds played a neutered version $132 million, a milestone for an R-rated film. in 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine—this Deadpool now stands as the biggest debut more ribald interpretation gave the actor a ever for Fox (yes, bigger than Avatar or Star means to gleefully channel his comedic id. Wars: Episode III—Revenge of the Sith) and a He’s turned in oddball appearances to pro- : DREAMWORKS: ANIMATION career best for Reynolds. A sequel, no sur- mote the movie, filming testicular-cancer 2 prise, is already in the works. “Obviously we PSAs in costume and even posting a NSFW Reynolds returns to THE CROODS THE want to make another one,” says producer in-character response to a petition for Dead- voice a brainy cave- boy in this sequel Simon Kinberg. And they plan to up the ante. pool to host SNL. (The upshot? Don’t expect (due next year) to “Ryan, most of all, is very aware that we need that to happen anytime soon.) the 2013 Best

: DAVID: DOLSEN; to do radical things and feel as outrageous and He’s got plenty to keep him busy anyway. Animated Feature Oscar nominee. provocative in a sequel as we did in this one.” Screenwriters Wernick and Reese hope to

DEADPOOL That stratospheric success is a plump present Reynolds with a draft for the sequel in cherry on top of the loaded sundae for the the next few weeks, while the success of this LIFE Deadpool writers film’s 39-year-old actor and producer, who one is still upending conventional wisdom Rhett Reese and fought for 11 years to play scarred assassin about what comic-book movies should be. Paul Wernick will Wade Wilson, a cult favorite for Marvel Com- There’s now talk that the next Wolverine reunite with their star for this sus- ics fans. Much like Robert Downey Jr. after movie, due from Fox next year, might be penseful story 2008’s Iron Man, Reynolds is more bankable R-rated, and some are even calling for Reyn- about a mission now—after more than 20 years in the olds to reprise his role as . to Mars, now in preproduction. business—than at any time in his career, and Under that mask, Deadpool is surely smirk-

REYNOLDS: MATTHEW BROOKES/TRUNK ARCHIVE; it’s all thanks to a masked weirdo previously ing with satisfaction.

18 EW.COM MARCH 4, 2016