Ryan Reynolds used his 'Deadpool' salary for screenwriters' on-set presence
In a recent revelation to The New York Times, actor Ryan Reynolds disclosed that he forfeited his salary to ensure the on-set presence of screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick during the production of the first Deadpool movie. Despite spending a decade trying to get 20th Century Fox to produce the film, Reynolds had to pay from his own pocket when the studio declined to fund Reese and Wernick's on-set involvement.
'The movie had neither time nor money'
"They wouldn't allow my co-writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick on set, so I took the little salary I had left and paid them to be on set with me so we could form a de facto writers room," said Reynolds. Reynolds further shared his belief that the constraints of time and money actually spurred creativity. "I think one of the great enemies of creativity is too much time and money, and that movie had neither time nor money."
Reynolds officially joined screenwriters for 'Deadpool 2'
Reese and Wernick confirmed in 2016 that they had been working with Reynolds on the Deadpool script for at least six years. They credited Reynolds for covering their expenses when Fox wouldn't fund their presence on set. Subsequently, Reynolds officially joined Reese and Wernick as a co-writer for the sequel, Deadpool 2, released in 2018. For their upcoming film Deadpool & Wolverine, writer Zeb Wells and director Shawn Levy have also joined the team.
Reynolds advocates for reasonable budgets in filmmaking
Despite now having the backing of Disney following its acquisition of Fox, Reynolds emphasized the importance of working within a reasonable budget. He stated, "Necessity is the mother of invention. The more constraints you place on a creative process, the more you think outside of the box." Director Levy echoed Reynolds's sentiment, asserting, "We want to make the movie for what it needs and not a penny more."
Reynolds shared 'Deadpool & Wolverine' preview experience with family
Reynolds recently watched a cut of Deadpool & Wolverine with his nine-year-old daughter and his mother. He shared, "Both of them were laughing their guts out, were feeling the emotion where I most desperately hoped people would be." Despite the film's R-rating, Reynolds defended his decision to let his daughter watch it, citing the significant impact such films had on him as a child. The movie is set for release on July 26.
