Creative Pressures on Deadpool 2
Ryan Reynolds: We weren’t overly concerned with the pressure or those things of kinds, what the audience might expect, we wanted to take it and migrate the basic tenets of “Deadpool,” everything that people loved about that movie, and make sure it was infused thoroughly through “Deadpool 2,” but also giving us a chance to tell a completely different story and through these new characters. The focus was mainly on telling a story that obviously is filtered through the prism of the R Rated action and comedy, but a family film in essence. We were sort of looking at it like the “dirtiest” Pixar movie you could ever make.
Authentic Sequel for the Fans
RR: We wanted to take the tenets of “Deadpool” and fuse them into a different story. The expectations are to deliver as authentic “Deadpool” sequel as possible up on screen. We want fans to get exactly what they want, which is one reason they love “Deadpool. We want them to see how much I love Deadpool and they see how much fun I am having playing Deadpool and I think that translates through the screen. There has always been something authentic about it. It’s something I have loved since 2004, spent over a decade trying to get it made, and lo and behold, it wasn’t my pushing that got the movie made, it was the fans, the internet exploded and wanted this movie. The fact that it exceeded our wildest expectations in terms of how it performed, that’s really just the cherry on top. With “Deadpool 2,” we attacked it from exactly the same angles and principles.
Another Film?
RR: The other one has been announced. It’s not a Deadpool movie but it’s an X-Force movie with Drew Goddard directing, who has got an incredible take, not just on the X-Force, but on that genre, which I think is going to be really interesting, to see the genre sort of bend in a different direction this time.
Opening Credits
RR: Everything on the movie is a collaboration and there is no one person who sort of pushes everything over the edge and if I was to pick one person, it would be Dave Leitch and he is our director and general and the guy who sort of moves the ball down field. But the opening credits were, I think it was the initial sort of Bond idea about it, was Dave Leitch.
Celine Dion Song
RR: The song “Ashes” was sent to us by the record label we were working with and we knew that we wanted this kind of James Bond-esque opening. We had been listening to this song for months and months. And we always knew that we were going to have somebody who is obviously pop culturally relevant and somebody who could send this thing home. We had a lot of different names on the list and we just thought let’s go for Celine Dion, she is a legend. It felt sort of like it walked that tightrope with being powerful and poignant cause the song is powerful and poignant and beautiful and still sort of like a weird choice that only Deadpool would make. I don’t know why Celine agreed to it. I think she just loved the song, I don’t think it had much to do with Deadpool. But I just sent her a letter and sometimes when you shoot for the stars, all it takes is asking. I asked her and I sent her a lovely letter and I told her what a fan I am of hers and I am Canadian and I love her and if she would want to do this I would send the song. Actually, it was only a couple of hours until she got back to us and said I am in.
Wishful Powers:
RR: I wouldn’t mind powers of regeneration, but at this point in my life, having two little girls, I would take, if I could just manage to sleep through anything, even being punched in the face by a one-and-a-half year old, that would be a super power I would put to good use I think.
Priorities in Life:
RR: I don’t think it’s juggling, it’s just where your priorities are and my priorities are with my family. When I am not working, I am with them, and actually when I am working I am also with them. Blake Lively and I don’t work at the same time generally, so we can all be together and travel together. That’s a system that most people aren’t lucky enough to have and we do have. We don’t take it for granted, not for a second.
Physical Shape
RR: It’s part of the prep for the movie. I am 41, so falling on cement isn’t hilarious anymore. It’s mostly to not get hurt and this movie is incredibly physical. David Leitch likes things inside the lens as opposed to CGI or digit doubles or a lot of the tricks that you can pull in these superhero movies. He really likes to keep things down and dirty. Most of the training I do is just to stay healthy throughout the shoot. I trained real hard before the movie and during the movie, and then when I have done the movie I sort of relax, but still take care of myself, but I am not obsessively lifting weights for two hours every morning.
Long Hours
RR: It is a challenge. On days where I am in the makeup as opposed to the suit, that is a three-hour makeup process. My day will be on average three to four hours longer than the crew. If they are working 14 hours, I am working 18 hours. You don’t get to spend as much time with the family or the gym, you sort of split the difference and try to get a rest.
Diet
RR: The diet is probably the same crap that Hugh Jackman does for his superhero pictures. Lots of food, whole live chickens, just swallowed without a thought. It’s a boring diet, not a lot of hot-fudge sundaes.
