(L to R) Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman attend the UK Fan Event of Marvel Studios’ ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ at Eventim Apollo, London on July 11th, 2024. Photo by StillMoving.Net for The Walt Disney Company Limited.
Preview:
Ryan Reynolds is developing a new comedy about a boy band.
He aims to have Hugh Jackman co-star.
‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ director Shawn Levy would co-produce and potentially direct the movie.
The gigantic success of ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ (it earned more than $1.3 billion at the box office this year and is already racking up plenty of views on Disney+) means that Ryan Reynolds should have carte blanche to do whatever he wants next.
Mostly what he appears to want to do is take a break –– at least as much as someone as busy as Reynolds, with his various marketing efforts and other companies, not to mention a wealth of potential new movies can be –– and spend more time with his family.
What’s the story of the Ryan Reynolds boy band movie?
Ryan Reynolds attends the UK Fan Event of Marvel Studios’ ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ at Eventim Apollo, London on July 11th, 2024. Photo by StillMoving.Net for The Walt Disney Company Limited.
Right now, much of the movie is a mystery –– we don’t know exactly what aspect of the boy band life would be featured.
But given that Reynolds is looking to reunite with his friend and ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ co-star Hugh Jackman on the new movie, we can imagine something catching up with the former members of a boy band group who have since gone their separate ways.
The Netflix TV series ‘Girls5Eva’ covers similar territory, albeit from the point of view of a girl group.
This is what Reynolds told the Reporter about the project:
“I’m on a second draft. The first draft was incredible and written by one of my favorite writers, Jesse Andrews [‘Me and Earl and the Dying Girl’]. Now I’m on my lonesome. There are no dates or anything just yet. I’m not filming anything for at least a year. This feels like it needs to have an extremely modest budget, and one that wouldn’t be all about going to pay above-the-line actors. Shawn, Hugh and I are open to creative ways to make this movie at an absolute bargain.”
And this was his quote about the trouble with boy bands:
“A lot of members of boy bands — and there are a lot of them — had managers who left them high and dry. They experienced levels of fame that would be very difficult for anyone to navigate, let alone an adolescent, when you are farming out your self-worth to an audience of screaming people. It creates a kind of arrested cultural development. They’re forever associated with that period of time in their lives. This would be about people in their 40s and 50s trying to get their lives back. I think there is something beautiful about that. The north star for me as a producer is joy. I feel like cynicism is a contracting industry and doesn’t have a great shelf life.”
Who else would work on the new movie?
(L to R) Hugh Jackman, Shawn Levy, and Ryan Reynolds attend ‘The Adam Project’ World Premiere at Alice Tully Hall on February 28, 2022 in New York City. Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Netflix.
While it appears Reynolds is now solely writing the movie himself, there’s a chance he could collaborate down the line with others again.
And from the sounds of it this is being seen as a potential ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ reunion in more ways than one, since director/producer Shawn Levy, who wrangled that giant superhero movie to life with Reynolds, is also likely to be involved as a producer and, potentially, director.
Levy makes sense, since he’s formed a close working bond with Reynolds following ‘Free Guy,’ ‘The Adam Project’ and now ‘Deadpool & Wolverine,’ though like his colleagues, he’s also someone who has a packed schedule.
FW15JuJGFTtwqnkn4XqPf5
Still, given that it sounds like the boy band project is a ways away, all three could carve out some future time to work on the movie. While Paramount is still apparently involved in the new film, it’s far too early to speculate on when it might hit theaters.
Talking of the more recent Deadpool outing, there has naturally been speculation that Wade Wilson and Logan could return for the two new ‘Avengers’ movies that will be headed our way in 2026 and 2027…
Will Deadpool show up in the new ‘Avengers’ movies?
Reynolds plays it coy in the Reporter interview when asked about a potential return for Deadpool.
This is what he had to say:
“There are no updates to share just yet. But I trust Kevin and [Marvel exec] Lou D’Esposito with my life. The character trait I love most about Deadpool is that he’s a fanboy. His enthusiasm and longing to be part of a team is really endearing to me. It’s his overarching wish-fulfillment story. But I don’t think he should ever be an Avenger or an X-Man. I think Deadpool works so well appearing with the X-Men and Avengers, but he always needs to stay an outsider. His ultimate dream is to be accepted and appreciated. But he can’t be accepted. His coping mechanism of deflecting shame through humor works only when used to pave over his many inadequacies. If and when he does become an Avenger or X-Man, we’re at the end of his journey.”
(L to R) Director Shawn Levy, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman from ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ at San Diego Comic-Con 2024. Photo: Marvel Studios.
Shawn Levy Movies Starring Ryan Reynolds and/or Hugh Jackman:
(L to R) Hugh Jackman, Shawn Levy, and Ryan Reynolds attend ‘The Adam Project’ World Premiere at Alice Tully Hall on February 28, 2022 in New York City. Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Netflix.
Preview:
Ryan Reynolds is writing a new movie.
He’s aiming to re-team with ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’s Hugh Jackman and Shawn Levy.
It’s reportedly not a Marvel movie.
If you enjoyed ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ (and given its record-breaking, $1.33 billion haul to date, many of you have, more than once), you’ll be happy to learn that stars Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman and director Shawn Levy, are looking to reunite for a new project.
FW15JuJGFTtwqnkn4XqPf5
But before visions of snarky clashes and cameos from other Marvel characters begin to dance in your head, a reality check: according to Reynolds, the project that he’s cooking up does not involve their comic-book characters.
“I’m spending the year writing. I’m writing a movie for myself, Hugh [Jackman] and Shawn [Levy] to do that is not Marvel.”
So what is the new Ryan Reynolds movie about?
Ryan Reynolds attends the UK Fan Event of Marvel Studios’ ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ at Eventim Apollo, London on July 11th, 2024. Photo by StillMoving.Net for The Walt Disney Company Limited.
That’s the billion-dollar question at this point. Reynolds offered up no details about what the new movie might entail, beyond the fact that he’s spending the next few months, possibly the next year, working on a script that will see him share the screen with Jackman once again, and for Levy to call the shots.
The trio are, of course, all good friends –– Reynolds and Jackman having previously shared the screen in ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ and developed a bond, while Levy directed Jackman for ‘Real Steel.’
We don’t yet know where the new movie will land but given the enormous success of their previous collaboration (Marvel trappings or no), you have to guess that studios and streamers to will be scrambling to get a look and secure their services.
Also, despite Reynolds naysaying, the possibility remains that he’s quietly coming up with ideas for a future ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’ team-up, assuming they’re not already on the roster for the upcoming ‘Avengers’ movies due to hit screens in 2026 and 2027.
(L to R) Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman attend the UK Fan Event of Marvel Studios’ ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ at Eventim Apollo, London on July 11th, 2024. Photo by StillMoving.Net for The Walt Disney Company Limited.
Add to that a variety of projects in development and his various business ventures, including co-chairman of Wrexham Football Club, whose ongoing efforts will be documented when Hulu series ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ returns next year.
As for Jackman, he’s playing a farmer in sheep detective mystery (not a joke) ‘Three Bags Full,’ and is co-starring with Kate Hudson in ‘Song Sung Blue,’ about a real-life husband-and-wife Neil Diamond tribute act.
The actor and singer also has a series of live shows in New York with dates across 2025.
And there remains, of course, speculation that the two actors are hot favorites to host next March’s Oscar ceremony. Nothing has been announced yet, but they’re certainly on the wishlist for the producers.
(L to R) Director Shawn Levy, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman from ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ at San Diego Comic-Con 2024. Photo: Marvel Studios.
Shawn Levy Movies Starring Ryan Reynolds and/or Hugh Jackman:
Ryan Reynolds attends the UK Fan Event of Marvel Studios’ ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ at Eventim Apollo, London on July 11th, 2024. Photo by StillMoving.Net for The Walt Disney Company Limited.
Ryan Reynolds is one of the most popular actors working today.
(L to R) Jessica Biel, Wesley Snipes and Ryan Reynolds in ‘Blade: Trinity’. Photo: New Line Cinema.
For years, Blade (Wesley Snipes) has fought against the vampires in the cover of the night. But now, after falling into the crosshairs of the FBI, he is forced out into the daylight, where he is driven to join forces with a clan of human vampire hunters he never knew existed—The Nightstalkers. Together with Abigail (Jessica Biel) and Hannibal (Reynolds), two deftly trained Nightstalkers, Blade follows a trail of blood to the ancient creature that is also hunting him—the original vampire, Dracula (Dominic Purcell).
An extremely wealthy elderly man (Ben Kingsley) dying from cancer undergoes a radical medical procedure that transfers his consciousness to the body of a healthy young man (Reynolds) but everything may not be as good as it seems when he starts to uncover the mystery of the body’s origins and the secret organization that will kill to keep its secrets.
Dave (Jason Bateman) is a married man with two kids and a loving wife (Leslie Mann), and Mitch (Reynolds) is a single man who is at the prime of his sexual life. One fateful night while Mitch and Dave are peeing in a fountain when lightning strikes, they switch bodies.
While visiting his hometown during Christmas, a man (Reynolds) comes face-to-face with his old high school crush whom he was best friends with – a woman (Amy Smart) whose rejection of him turned him into a ferocious womanizer.
Van Wilder (Reynolds) has been attending college for far too many years and is scared to graduate, but Van’s father (Tim Matheson) eventually realizes what is going on. When he stops paying his son’s tuition fees, Van must come up with the money if he wants to stay in college, so he and his friends come up with a great fund-raising idea – throwing parties. However, when the college magazine finds out and reporter, Gwen (Tara Reid) is sent to do a story on Van Wilder, things get a little complicated.
(L to R) Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds in ‘The Proposal’. Photo: Walt Disney Studios.
When she learns she’s in danger of losing her visa status and being deported, overbearing book editor Margaret Tate (Sandra Bullock) forces her put-upon assistant, Andrew Paxton (Reynolds), to marry her.
Paul (Reynolds) is a U.S. truck driver working in Iraq. After an attack by a group of Iraqis he wakes to find he is buried alive inside a coffin. With only a lighter and a cell phone it’s a race against time to escape this claustrophobic death trap.
Two high school girls (Kristen Dunst and Michelle Williams) wander off during a class trip to the White House and meet President Richard Nixon (Dan Hedaya). They become the official dog walkers for Nixon’s dog Checkers, and become his secret advisors during the Watergate scandal.
A time-traveling pilot (Reynolds) teams up with his younger self (Walker Scobell) and his late father (Mark Ruffalo) to come to terms with his past while saving the future.
Maria Altmann (Helen Mirren), an octogenarian Jewish refugee, takes on the Austrian government to recover a world famous painting of her aunt plundered by the Nazis during World War II, she believes rightfully belongs to her family. She did so not just to regain what was rightfully hers, but also to obtain some measure of justice for the death, destruction, and massive art theft perpetrated by the Nazis.
(L to R) Ryan Reynolds and Kristen Stewart in ‘Adventureland’. Photo: Miramax Films.
In the summer of 1987, a college graduate (Jesse Eisenberg) takes a ‘nowhere’ job at his local amusement park, only to find it’s the perfect course to get him prepared for the real world.
Justice Smith in ‘Pokémon Detective Pikachu’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
In a world where people collect pocket-size monsters (Pokémon) to do battle, a boy (Justice Smith) comes across an intelligent monster (Reynolds) who seeks to be a detective.
(L to R) Ryan Reynolds and Ray Liotta in ‘Smokin’ Aces’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
When a Las Vegas performer-turned-snitch named Buddy Israel (Jeremy Piven) decides to turn state’s evidence and testify against the mob, it seems that a whole lot of people would like to make sure he’s no longer breathing.
(L to R) Samuel L. Jackson and Ryan Reynolds in ‘The Hitman’s Bodyguard’. Photo: Lionsgate.
The world’s top bodyguard (Reynolds) gets a new client, a hitman (Samuel L. Jackson) who must testify at the International Court of Justice. They must put their differences aside and work together to make it to the trial on time.
(L to R) Ben Mendelsohn and Ryan Reynolds in ‘Mississippi Grind’. Photo: A24.
Gerry (Ben Mendelsohn) is a talented but down-on-his-luck gambler whose fortunes begin to change when he meets Curtis (Reynolds) a younger highly charismatic poker player. The two strike up an immediate friendship and Gerry quickly persuades his new friend to accompany him on a road trip to a legendary high stakes poker game in New Orleans. As they make their way down the Mississippi River, Gerry and Curtis manage to find themselves in just about every bar, racetrack, casino and pool hall they can find experiencing both incredible highs and dispiriting lows but ultimately forging a deep and genuine bond that will stay with them long after their adventure is over.
(L to R) Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds in ‘Safe House. Photo: Universal Pictures.
A dangerous CIA renegade (Denzel Washington) resurfaces after a decade on the run. When the safe house he’s remanded to is attacked by mercenaries, a rookie operative (Reynolds) escapes with him. Now, the unlikely allies must stay alive long enough to uncover who wants them dead.
(L to R) Ryan Reynolds and Jodie Comer in ‘Free Guy’. Photo: 20th Century Studios.
A bank teller (Reynolds) discovers he is actually a background player in an open-world video game, and decides to become the hero of his own story. Now, in a world where there are no limits, he is determined to be the guy who saves his world his way before it’s too late.
(L to R) Ryan Reynolds, Stefan Kapičić and Brianna Hildebrand in ‘Deadpool’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
The origin story of former Special Forces operative turned mercenary Wade Wilson (Reynolds), who, after being subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers, adopts the alter ego Deadpool. Armed with his new abilities and a dark, twisted sense of humor, Deadpool hunts down the man who nearly destroyed his life.
Shawn Levy attends the UK Fan Event of Marvel Studios’ ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ at Eventim Apollo, London on July 11th, 2024. Photo by StillMoving.Net for The Walt Disney Company Limited.
Director Shawn Levy‘s string of consecutive hits has made him one of the most popular filmmakers working today.
(L to R) Paul Giamatti and Frankie Muniz in ‘Big Fat Liar’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
After one of his class papers is stolen and turned into a movie, a young student (Frankie Muniz) and his best friend (Amanda Bynes) exact a hilarious, slapstick revenge on the Hollywood hot shot (Paul Giamatti) who has taken credit!
Steve Martin as Inspector Jacques Clouseau in 2006’s ‘The Pink Panther.’ Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Releasing.
When the coach of the France soccer team is killed by a poisoned dart in the stadium in the end of a game, and his expensive and huge ring with the diamond Pink Panther disappears, the ambitious Chief Inspector Dreyfus (Kevin Kline) assigns the worst police inspector Jacques Clouseau (Steve Martin) to the case.
1997’s ‘Address Unknown’. Photo: Leucadia Film Corporation.
A 16-year-old boy who had thought that his fathers death was an accident suspects otherwise when he receives a 10-year-old lost letter his father had written just before his death.
After his wife’s death, Michael (Mark Moses) loses track of whats important. Thats why its strictly business between Michael and Faith (Rebecca Chambers) the attractive nanny he’s hired to take care of his troubled 7-year-old daughter Lily (Brittany Alyse Smith). When Faith helps Lily deal with her mothers death she earns a place in Michaels heart. But to keep Faith in their lives Michael has to decide whats really important to him.
Steve Martin in ‘Cheaper by the Dozen’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
The Baker brood moves to Chicago after patriarch Tom (Steve Martin) gets a job coaching football at Northwestern University, forcing his writer wife, Mary (Bonnie Hunt), and the couple’s 12 children to make a major adjustment. The transition works well until work demands pull the parents away from home, leaving the kids bored — and increasingly mischievous.
(L to R) Brittany Murphy and Ashton Kutcher in ‘Just Married’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
Tom Leezak (Ashton Kutcher) and Sarah McNerney (Brittany Murphy) fall in love and plan to get married, despite opposition from Sarah’s uptight, rich family. When they do get married, and get a chance to prove Sarah’s family wrong, they go on a European honeymoon and run into disaster after disaster. They have to decide whether the honeymoon from hell and a few pre-marital mistakes are worth throwing away their love and marriage.
(L to R) Ben Stiller and Amy Adams in ‘Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
Hapless museum night watchman Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) must help his living, breathing exhibit friends out of a pickle now that they’ve been transferred to the archives at the Smithsonian Institution. Larry’s (mis)adventures this time include close encounters with Amelia Earhart (Amy Adams), Abe Lincoln (Hank Azaria) and Ivan the Terrible (Christopher Guest).
(L to R) Tina Fey and Steve Carell in ‘Date Night’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
Phil (Steve Carell) and Claire (Tina Fey) Foster fear that their mild-mannered relationship may be falling into a stale rut. During their weekly date night, their dinner reservation leads to their being mistaken for a couple of thieves—and now a number of unsavoury characters want Phil and Claire killed.
(L to R) Mizuo Peck, Robin Williams, Ben Stiller, Rami Malek and Patrick Gallagher in ‘Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
When the magic powers of The Tablet of Ahkmenrah begin to die out, Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) spans the globe, uniting favorite and new characters while embarking on an epic quest to save the magic before it is gone forever.
(L to R) Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson in ‘The Internship’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
Two recently laid-off men in their 40s (Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson) try to make it as interns at a successful Internet company where their managers are in their 20s.
(L to R) Walker Scobell and Ryan Reynolds in ‘The Adam Project’. Photo: Netflix.
A time-traveling pilot (Ryan Reynolds) teams up with his younger self (Walker Scobell) and his late father (Mark Ruffalo) to come to terms with his past while saving the future.
(L to R) Ben Stiller and Robin Williams in ‘Night at the Museum’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
Chaos reigns at the natural history museum when night watchman Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) accidentally stirs up an ancient curse, awakening Attila the Hun, an army of gladiators, a Tyrannosaurus rex and other exhibits.
(L to R) Dakota Goyo and Hugh Jackman in ‘Real Steel’. Photo: Walt Disney Studios.
Charlie Kenton (Hugh Jackman) is a washed-up fighter who retired from the ring when robots took over the sport. After his robot is trashed, he reluctantly teams up with his estranged son (Dakota Goyo) to rebuild and train an unlikely contender.
(L to R) Tina Fey, Corey Stoll, Jane Fonda, Jason Bateman and Adam Driver in ‘This Is Where I Leave You’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
When their father passes away, four grown (Tina Fey, Jason Bateman, Corey Stoll and Adam Driver), world-weary siblings return to their childhood home and are requested — with an admonition — to stay there together for a week, along with their free-speaking mother (Jane Fonda) and a collection of spouses, exes and might-have-beens. As the brothers and sisters re-examine their shared history and the status of each tattered relationship among those who know and love them best, they reconnect in hysterically funny and emotionally significant ways.
(L to R) Ryan Reynolds and Jodie Comer in ‘Free Guy’. Photo: 20th Century Studios.
A bank teller (Ryan Reynolds) discovers he is actually a background player in an open-world video game, and decides to become the hero of his own story. Now, in a world where there are no limits, he is determined to be the guy who saves his world his way before it’s too late.
(L to R) Shawn Levy and Ryan Reynolds attend ‘The Adam Project’ World Premiere at Alice Tully Hall on February 28, 2022 in New York City. Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for Netflix.
Preview:
Ryan Reynolds and Shawn Levy are developing an untitled heist movie.
‘Cruella’ writer Dana Fox came up with the concept.
Netflix has nabbed the rights to the potential movie.
Right now, Levy is aboard to direct and Reynolds to produce, but it’s a fair bet that if they end up happy with the script, the ‘Deadpool’ actor will end up starring.
FW15JuJGFTtwqnkn4XqPf5
What’s the new project that has Ryan Reynolds and Shawn Levy attached?
(L to R) Ryan Reynolds and Shawn Levy at a Netflix event. Photo by Noam Galai.
The exact story details for this one are under wraps, but The Hollywood Reporter has learned that it’s a high-concept globally set caper flick a la ‘Ocean’s Eleven’. We’re sure it’ll open up opportunities for Reynolds to deploy his trademark wit and quips, but again, it’ll depend on the script as to whether he commits to star, even with Levy serving as director.
Dana Fox, who has written movies such as ‘Cruella’ and ‘The Lost City’, came up with the basic idea and has developed it with ‘X-Men’ veteran Simon Kinberg, who will also produce via his Genre Films company.
It’ll be a while before this one is ready to shoot, let alone find a release date, as Fox has yet to write the script.
And both Reynolds and Levy have busy schedules –– beyond the third ‘Deadpool’, Levy has to work on the final season of ‘Stranger Things’ and a variety of other potential shows/movies as both producer and director.
Reynolds, meanwhile, has a second ‘Red Notice’ movie, new action comedy ‘Calamity Hustle’ (which will co-star Channing Tatum and has been grabbed by Amazon Studios) and various other projects, including the next season of TV soccer doc ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ on his to do list.
Shawn Levy attends ‘The Adam Project’ World Premiere at Alice Tully Hall on February 28, 2022 in New York City. Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for Netflix.
Netflix –– which of course produced ‘The Adam Project’ and already has the aforementioned Reynolds-starring ‘Red Notice’ movies, was quick to snap this one up after a competitive bidding situation that included studios and other streamers.
It’s hardly surprising that the company wants to stay in business with Levy and Reynolds given that they’ve both worked on plenty of projects there. But it’ll certainly have to be patient waiting for this new one.
‘Deadpool 3’, meanwhile, is currently on track to hit theaters on July 26th. Before that, we’ll see Reynolds in John Krasinski’s live-action/CG family fantasy comedy ‘IF’, which is out on May 17th and has a trailer online.
(L to R) Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in ‘Deadpool 3.’ Photo courtesy of Ryan Reynolds Instagram account.
Premiering on Netflix November 2nd is the four-part series ‘’All the Light We Cannot See,’ which is based on author Anthony Doerr’s novel of the same name. The series was developed and written by Steven Knight (‘Spencer’) and directed by Shawn Levy (‘Free Guy,’ ‘Deadpool 3’).
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with director Shawn Levy and writer Steven Knight about their work on ‘’All the Light We Cannot See,’ visually adapting the source material, the themes they wanted to explore, the show’s unusual structure, and casting actress Aria Mia Loberti.
(L to R) Shawn Levy and Steven Knight for Netflix’s ‘All The Light We Cannot See.’
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview.
Moviefone: To begin with, Shawn, can you talk about the challenges of adapting this source material visually to the screen, as well as the themes that you were excited to explore with the series?
Shawn Levy: Well, the good news is that the hardest part of the adaptation was Steven’s job, so I was spared that. I try to listen to what the script is telling me it wants to be, which is why ‘Free Guy’ looks different from ‘Stranger Things’ and ‘The Adam Project,’ and in this case, the source material, both the book and Steven’s adaptation, it was such a combination of historic, epic visuals, but with almost lyrical intimacy. I saw an opportunity to make something that doesn’t look like anything I’ve made before, but that also said something thematically that I believe in, which is, in spite of the many ways the world can break our heart, particularly in wartime, and the cruelty that people can do, that there is the critical importance of believing in the light we can’t see at a certain moment. History just recurrently teaches us this again and again, and times are dark once again, and it’s so hard, but also so important to hold on to your humanity, to your empathy, and to your ability to connect with someone else, regardless of the uniform they wear or the side of the world or conflict that they’re on.
MF: The series follows two different stories and features a lot of flashbacks. Steven, can you talk about the structure of the series and the challenges of adapting the source material?
Steven Knight: The biggest challenge of adapting the novel is the time shifts, because it’s sort of easier to do that on the page than it is on the screen. It took some sort of ingenuity to make sure that the audience don’t get lost in the time and fall between the cracks. I mean, that is a technical challenge, but I think that the real challenge of adapting something this good and this brilliant is to be able to confidently say that you know the characters well enough to have them do things they don’t do in the book. Setting the characters free can only happen if you are sure, you know who they are, and what they would do in those circumstances. For me, that was the biggest challenge, as well as daring to adapt something this well-loved and this well-celebrated. But I think in the end you have to do that; otherwise only mediocre novels would ever get adapted.
MF: Finally, Shawn, can you talk about discovering actress Aria Mia Loberti and why she was perfect to play the lead role of Marie-Laure LeBlanc?
SL: I felt going in that if I could find someone to play Marie who was herself low-vision or blind, that it wouldn’t just be the right way to approach it, it would be the better way to approach it, because it would be the authentic way to tell this story. So, we put out an open casting call and got well over a thousand auditions. One of them was from this graduate student, Fulbright scholar, young woman, who had never acted or even auditioned before, but she had such a presence on screen. She had an intelligence and a fire in her that felt like a hero and felt like it could bring this hero to life.
What is the plot of ‘All the Light We Cannot See’?
‘All the Light We Cannot See follows’ the lives of two teenagers during the height of World War II: Marie-Laure (Aria Mia Loberti), a blind French girl and Werner Pfennig (Louis Hofmann), a German boy forced to join and fight for the Nazi Regime.
Who is in the cast of ‘All the Light We Cannot See’?
(Left) Executive Producer Shawn Levy seen at the red carpet premiere in support of the launch of the Netflix original series ‘Stranger Things.’ Photo: Eric Charbonneau/Netflix. (Right) Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in ‘Deadpool 3.’ Photo courtesy of Ryan Reynolds Instagram account.
While he is in Toronto to promote his latest collaboration with Netflix, historical novel adaptation ‘All the Light We Cannot See’, Shawn Levy has naturally also been answering questions about the movie he was working on, a slightly anticipated title known as ‘Deadpool 3’.
Yes, the latest entry in the successful superhero franchise boasts not only Ryan Reynolds back in the suit as the quip-happy Merc With a Mouth, but sees Hugh Jackman join him on screen properly for the first time as Wolverine.
While the character has been the subject of many, many gags in previous ‘Deadpool’ outings, this will Jackman’s Logan him showing up to banter with/battle Reynolds’ Wade Wilson.
And according to Levy, having the pair team-up is a dream come true.
FW15JuJGFTtwqnkn4XqPf5
Shawn Levy on ‘Deadpool 3’
(L to R) Hugh Jackman, Shawn Levy, and Ryan Reynolds attend ‘The Adam Project’ World Premiere at Alice Tully Hall on February 28, 2022 in New York City. Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Netflix.
Talking to Collider, Levy revealed that has really enjoyed making the threequel so far:
“You have two major movie stars together in a movie playing their most iconic signature roles –– that is director heaven. So, the story, the tone, the movie itself leans into that gift of having Deadpool and Wolverine co-starring in a movie for the first time. So, we’re definitely not running away from that.”
Yet even all that fun couldn’t prevent the movie from shutting down for the latest strike. Even though it had kept shooting during the writers’ strike, adding the actors’ industrial action into the mix stopped it in its tracks.
According to Levy , the team was 35 days into making the movie, which is exactly halfway through the planned shoot.
Here’s Levy on whether he’s front-loaded the big effects that could have been worked on during the strike:
“That would have been smarter than I am. That would have been so savvy. But I guess, like others in our industry, I somehow thought this second strike would be averted. Then suddenly, it was upon us, and I had to send several hundred people home, and they’re still waiting to come back to work. So, I’m just really — I don’t use this word lightly — I’m yearning for a resolution that feels fair and equitable and gets this industry back to work.”
Still, he’s promising that the finished film (when it can be finished) will be raw and audacious. We’d expect no less from a ‘Deadpool’ movie.
Shawn Levy attends ‘The Adam Project’ World Premiere at Alice Tully Hall on February 28, 2022 in New York City. Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for Netflix.
Levy is a man with many irons in the fire, having built a successful career as a producer as well as directing movies and TV series.
All of his recent hits have led to him getting the chance to make a ‘Star Wars’ movie, but that is currently on hold because of the writers’ strike.
“We were just starting the process of developing my movie, and the writer strike happened. So, we are in that holding pattern that so much of our industry is in.”
The same fate has also befallen his plan to make a series based on his 2010 sci-fi drama ‘Real Steel’, about boxing robots. Like his ‘Star Wars’ movie, the series was in development but is on hold pending the end of the strikes.
XC6sznOsmpgi4yytNdLFb2
Will Shawn Levy be back for ‘Stranger Things’ next season?
(L to R) Creator and Executive Producer Matt Duffer, Matthew Modine, Creator and Executive Producer Ross Duffer and Executive Producer Shawn Levy seen at the after-premiere party in support of the launch of the Netflix original series ‘Stranger Things’ at Mack Sennett Studios on Monday, July 11, 2016, in Los Angeles, CA. Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Invision for Netflix/AP Images. Photo: Eric Charbonneau/Netflix.
By far one of the most successful projects that Levy has been attached to through the years is Netflix series ‘Stranger Things’, which has become a giant pop culture sensation.
Created by Matt and Ross Duffer, the series is set in a small town in Indiana affected by a creepy parallel dimension that births weird creatures and affects the life of the families in the town.
The story focus on a group of young people who become directly involved in fighting back against the threats.
Levy, who has worked on the show since the beginning, has directed an episode or two every year, and he’s hopeful that despite a busy schedule, that he’ll back to help wrap the show by directing one from the fifth and final season.
Here’s what Levy had to say:
“I’ve been alongside Matt and Ross Duffer for all these years. I direct episodes every year. It’s a part of our brotherhood. It’s a part of my commitment and my love of the show, connecting with it as a director, as well as an executive producer, so I will go through hoops to figure out calendars to direct at least one episode.”
Of course, there is still the small matter of the strikes, which has shut down development of the final season while writing was initially underway.
And what of a project that is much more in the “vaporware” category, since it hadn’t even hit the writing stage yet.
What’s the status of the ‘Free Guy’ sequel?
Ryan Reynolds stars in ‘Free Guy.’
A big success for the director was 2021’s ‘Free Guy’ (which also starred Reynolds).
The story of a video game character who learns the truth about his existence earned $331.5 million at a time when audiences were worried about returning to theaters.
Naturally, Disney (which took over the movie when it bought 20th Century Fox), is eager for a sequel, and one has been in development for a while.
hao5IM3ChnKKUM9ZkbBed2
Yet according to Levy, it has hit an unusual roadblock thanks to this year’s most successful movie –– ‘Barbie’:
“I think it is definitely not assured. We love ‘Free Guy’ and the love for ‘Free Guy’ that has kind of resonated in aftershocks, if you will, in the last couple of years. That’s been thrilling to Ryan and I. We are developing a sequel, but the truth is that you now have ‘Barbie’ that has obviously left a mark about a character in a fictional world who comes to self-awareness. So, we’re only gonna make ‘Free Guy 2’ if it’s different than the first movie and if it’s different from other movies.”
For now, Levy will mostly focus on promoting his current work and potentially overseeing what post-production work that can be completed on ‘Deadpool 3’ and figuring out the 500 other projects he might want to kick off once there are writers available to script them and actors to say the words.
Hugh Jackman will return as Wolverine in Marvel Studios’ ‘Deadpool 3.’
Shawn Levy attends ‘The Adam Project’ World Premiere at Alice Tully Hall on February 28, 2022 in New York City. Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for Netflix.
It really is a good time to be director Shawn Levy right now. Not only is he one of the key creative team members behind ‘Stranger Things’ (he’s an executive producer and directs at least one episode a season), but his movie partnership with Ryan Reynolds on ‘Free Guy’ has led to a fruitful follow-up that included ‘The Adam Project’ and now, ‘Deadpool 3’, which is in development.
But there was even bigger news today, as Deadline brings word that Levy is also in talks to direct a ‘Star Wars’ movie for Disney/Lucasfilm.
While this could sound like a big rumour, Levy has confirmed that he’s at least in discussions via social media.
So far, Deadline has not been able to pry loose any details on writer, subject or release date from the notoriously close-mouthed Lucasfilm team, so we don’t yet know who else will be involved should Levy actually lock in a deal.
And outside of planning the ‘Deadpool’ mayhem and whatever his duties end up being on the fifth and final season of ‘Stranger Things’, Levy has been keeping typically busy. He’s in post-production on Netflix limited series ‘All the Light We Cannot See’, for which he directed all four episodes.
There is still chatter about a ‘Free Guy’ sequel and thanks to his 21 Laps company, Levy has rarely been overseeing more projects, though he has smartly delegated some of that work to his team.
Shawn Levy speaks during ‘The Adam Project’ World Premiere at Alice Tully Hall on February 28, 2022 in New York City. Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for Netflix.
It marks another positive turn in the continuing world of ‘Star Wars’, with several directors/writer-directors lined up for future films. Taika Waititi and Rian Johnson are both at different stages of planning movies set in that galaxy far, far away.
‘Wonder Woman’ director Patty Jenkins remains attached to Rebel fighter pilot pic ‘Rogue Squadron’, even as that film remains parked in a development hanger having lost its slot on the Disney/Lucasfilm release calendar.
Kathleen Kennedy and the Lucasfilm team has been trying to figure out the future of big screen ‘Star Wars’ following the mixed response to ‘The Rise of Skywalker’. There is no solid information about which movie will be next, but there is an untitled film set in the ‘Wars’ universe on the release calendar for 2025.
It’s beyond doubtful that any film directed by Levy could be ready for that date – with his existing assignments, he probably wouldn’t even be able to start work on a movie before 2025 anyway. So we’ll be waiting to watch this one.
Shawn Levy attends ‘The Adam Project’ World Premiere at Alice Tully Hall on February 28, 2022 in New York City. Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for Netflix.
hBt8TgYujILw0oi3DZsWf1
kGQCCH72
Can we handle this much funny in one movie? “Thor: Ragnarok” director/actor Taika Waititi is joining Ryan Reynolds in the sci-fi action comedy “Free Guy.”
It’s about a guy who’s a background character and realizes he’s living in a video game. With the help of an avatar, he tries to stop the creators of the game from shutting down his world. (So, kind of like “Wreck It-Ralph.”)
The rest of the cast are no slouches: Utkarsh Ambudkar (“Brockmire,” “Ride Along”) Jodie Comer (“Killing Eve”), Joe Kerry (“Stranger Things”) and Lil Rel Howery (“Get Out”).
Shawn Levy (“Night at the Museum”) is directing from a script by Matt Lieberman and Zak Penn.
Reynolds has been gold for 20th Century Fox as Deadpool, and he was just announced to star in the studio’s upcoming sci-fi action comedy “Free Guy.”
The film will be directed by “Stranger Things” director/producer Shawn Levy, with the script by Matt Lieberman. Reynolds and Levy are also on board as producers.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, “Free Guy” follows a background character who realizes he’s living in a video game. “With the help of an avatar, he tries to prevent the makers of the game from shutting down his world.”
Don’t let them wreck-it, Ralph!
THR said Fox picked this up as a spec script in 2016. Now it’s finally happening.
