Robert Schwentke May Direct Ryan Reynolds In R.I.P.D.; Will Deadpool Fall Prey To Reynolds' Green Lantern Schedule?
ReddirectorRobert Schwentkeis already fielding options for his next film. One that came up earlier this week is the underwater adventureShadow Divers, but now he’s been linked to theRyan ReynoldsfilmR.I.P.D., based on the Dark Horse comic series of the same name. But how will this one fit into the crowded Reynolds schedule that includes possibleGreen Lanternsequels and (hopefully, if you’re Rob Liefeld) the Fox filmDeadpool?
McG was formerly linked to the film, but dumped it to makeThis Means War. Now theLA Timessays that with McG gone, Schwentke, who had been in consideration before, looks like he might be the guy.
Neal Moritz recently described the film toCollider:
It’s about two cops, one recently dead and a gunslinger who’s been dead for hundreds of years who work on the Rest in Peace department – which is the police department of the dead. And they basically… it takes place on a normal day and it’s about trying to keep the dead quiet.
And here’s the official synopsis of the comic:
Welcome to the Rest In Peace Department — the devoted, yet dead, officers of divine law enforcement “patrolling the deadbeat…reporting to one boss.” Yep — THAT boss. Nick Cruz was murdered by an unknown assailent, at the height of his personal and professional life. Now he’s traded a hundred years of service to the R.I.P.D. in exchange for a shot at finding who killed him. Unfortunately his search will take him to Hell and back — literally!
Universal reportedly wants to shootR.I.P.D.next summer, but that could require some schedule juggling. It looks like Warner Bros. may want to move forward with at least oneGreen Lanternsequel, which could go into production right after the first film opens next year. Meanwhile, there’sDeadpool,for which Fox has yet to hire a director.
Deadpool creatorRob Liefeldis evidently upset that the film based on his character may never happen, thinking that WB wants Reynolds to only be Green Lantern. Liefeld recentlytweetedhis concern (viaBleeding Cool), saying things such as:
But does Liefeld really have any inside info, or is he just concerned? It isn’t a leap to surmise that WB might want to keep Reynolds away from other hero projects, but all the talk about second and third Green Lantern films seems very premature.
