So, does this mean Ryan Reynolds won’t be starring in “Deadpool“? Let’s back up for a second. Comedian Zach Galifianakis is in talks to join Reynolds in “R.I.P.D.,” an adaptation of the Dark Horse comic book about a pair of deceased detectives, one a recently murdered cop, the other a gunslinger from the Old West. Robert Schwentke (“Red,” “The Time Traveler’s Wife,” “Flightplan“) has been attached to direct since last fall.
An acronym for the Rest In Peace Department, the comic and film are basically about a dead police officer whose soul restlessly searches for the person who set him up so he can finally get into heaven. When we last heard about this film, Reynolds had amassed an exorbitant amount of projects, including the comedy “The Change-Up” (which shot late last year, ironically with David Dobkin of “Wedding Crashers” who was once attached to “R.I.P.D.“) the thriller “Safe House,” (which shoots this winter and co-stars Denzel Washington) and three comic book adaptations; “Deadpool” and “R.I.P.D.,” and most likely at some point, “Green Lantern 2.”
Reynolds himself knew his time and schedule was being stretched thin and at the time assumed he would have to choose between the “Deadpool” film and “R.I.P.D.”
However, this was when Robert Rodriguez was still attached to “Deadpool” and the project was full steam ahead. Now that he’s left to take care of his “Spy Kids” and “Sin City” sequels, the 20th Century Fox picture about the “Merc with a Mouth,” seems to have lost steam and appears to be back in “further development mode” (though Swedish director Adam Berg was last touted as a potential replacement).
Either way, the addition of Galifianakis, if he does indeed sign on, is a huge win for a project that still sounds pretty silly, but feels much more tolerable with his comedic sensibilities on board. Now if we could only forget how mediocre “Red” was (though perhaps this one dodged a bullet, McGwas once interested). “R.I.P.D.” is reportedly shooting this summer, we assume for Reynolds, after that comes… a vacation? [LAT]
