Ryan Reynolds Addresses 'Deadpool' Sequel's Change of Directors
Deadpool is the most profitable X-Men film ever, the second highest-grossing R-rated film ever in the U.S. (behind only The Passion of the Christ), and No. 7 on the list of top earning films, worldwide, of 2016. In other words, it’s a massive hit. As a wise man once said, however, “mo’ money, mo’ problems.” No sooner had the Ryan Reynolds superhero vehicle hit pay dirt than its inevitable sequel became mired in controversy, when Tim Miller, director of the blockbuster, left the follow-up over reported creative differences with its star (Miller is now set to direct a Sonic the Hedgehog film). Fox has since replaced Miller with John Wick co-director David Leitch, and while Reynolds has previously remained mum about this behind-the-scenes turmoil, he’s now finally discussing the changes to the Deadpool team.
Related: 5 Things We Learned When the ‘Deadpool’ Crew Reunited for the Blu-Ray Release
In a new interview with EW.com, Reynolds — just named the publication’s “Entertainer of the Year” — is effusive with his praise of Leitch:
“Everybody was just a fan of his work. He’s just a guy who’s so muscular with his action. He also really understands those Deadpool sensibilities and where we need to take the franchise from here. And I love John Wick. One of the things that David Leitch does that very few filmmakers can do these days is they can make a movie on an ultra tight minimal budget look like it was shot for 10-15 times what it cost.”
Related: ‘Deadpool’ Composer Exits Franchise In Show of Solidarity for Director Tim Miller
As for Miller, Reynolds refrains from getting into the reasons behind his departure, instead simply opting to praise him and his contributions to the first film. “There is not a human being on earth that worked harder on Deadpool than Tim,” Reynolds told EW. “He’s an incredibly, incredibly talented director.”
Since John Wick boasted some of the finest on-screen action in years, Deadpool 2 seems to be in good hands. To hear more about plans for the sequel — including producer Simon Kinberg’s thoughts about staying true to the first movie’s scale and spirit — head over to EW.com.
Watch Ryan Reynolds and Conan O’Brien Passionately Re-create ‘The Notebook’:
