Reports of Robert Rodriguez‘s involvement in Deadpool have gone back and forth since June, but things are finally starting to look a little more final. According to the LA Times, Rodriguez and Fox Studios have begun negotiating with each other “beyond the casual discussion stage”. This doesn’t mean that Rodriguez will definitely end up directing Ryan Reynolds in the superhero flick, but it’s a possibility, and officially more than a rumor. Before fans start rejoicing too much, keep in mind that this could put the film off even farther, since Rodriguez is lined up to direct Spy Kids 4 after his Mexploitation flick Machete hits theaters in September. We’re still rooting for Rodriguez to have a go at the project, since it’s hard to imagine a director better suited for the merc with a mouth.
Robert Rodiguez has been offered the directors chair for Fox’s Deadpool adaptation. Rodriguez, the director of such pulpy fare as Sin City and Grindhouse’s Planet Terror, seems like a natural choice to bring the fourth-wall breaking superhero to the big screen.
Deadpool has been put on the back burner lately due to star Ryan Reynolds’ involvement in Green Lantern, but Fox’s move towards Rodriguez indicates that the ball is going to start rolling soon on production. Hopefully, the choice of Rodriguez as director also implies that Fox won’t be afraid to make an R film out of this one. Rodriguez is known for not shying away from violence, or the R ratings that follow. My common sense is tingling that a kid-friendly PG-13 version of Deadpool would really be missing the point of the character’s appeal.
The film is being scripted by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick of Zombieland and is due out in 2011, with or without Rodriguez. But I’m hoping “with.”
