Is There 8 Minutes Of R-Rated Test Footage For Deadpool?

There hasn't been much development concerning Fox's reboot of the character Wade Wilson better known as Deadpool. BleedingCool picked up creator Rob Liefelf stating he may have seen some R-rated test footage Fox could have shot. If this is indeed true it could mean that the studio could be finally figuring out when/how they will shoot. Fox seemed to have been mulling over what to do with the Merc-With-A-Mouth as the script written by the dynamic duo of Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (Zombieland, G.I. Joe 2) is clearly for an R-rated movie. There seemed to be some hesitation to pursue that type of rating considering all five X-Men universe films have been PG-13 money makers. X-Men franchise producer Lauren Shulder Donner recently spoke on the subject and even sounded like she was championing decision to go with an R rating. If this does happen this will be Fox's first R-rated Marvel film.

While rating isn't everything these days since Christopher Nolan was able to give us a down and dirty Batman film with the Dark Knight even if it was PG-13. Some might say the censors turned a blind-eye to a few scenes. However, when it comes to Deadpool the mercenary character needs to live in a hostile environment which he contributes to with a massive body count. He's also mentally unstable and unpredictable so explicit language is necessity. Here's hoping Fox comes to their senses and moves forward with this film soon. At one point it looked like Ryan Reynolds was going to walk from the project. Luckily, Green Lantern bombed and it doesn't look like that sequel will sweep him away.

"They’ve got a great director on the movie, they’ve got a great script. I may or may have not seen some sort of test of footage that would blow your mind if you saw it and go holy crap and that’s Deadpool in costume. Katana swords, guns, shooting people’s faces off and making me laugh. And I may or may not have seen something that looks just like that. And you’ve got what would amount to the first R Rated X-Men movie. Because that script is R Rated. 


 They may or may not have wanted to shoot eight minutes to see how it would play. And all I can tell you, it’s close. It’s closer that it’s even been to going, or going Naaah, that’s too scary a proposition to make a R Rated Deadpool movie.”

Elodie Yung To Play Jinx In G.I. Joe: Cobra Strikes

HeatVision reports French actress Elodie Yung is in talks to play the role of Jinx in G.I. Joe: Cobra Strikes. Jinx is a Joe who like Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow is a member of the Arashikage Ninja Clan. Yung is no stranger to action she had a rather psychical role in the French action film District 13: Ultimatum. She also has a role in David Fincher's The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo playing Rooney Mara's girlfriend.

Elodie would join Dwayne Johnson (Roadblock), Channing Tatum (Duke) and Ray Park (Snake Eyes). It's also expected that Byung Hun Lee will return as Storm Shadow since he's gaining a lot of praise for his work in the Korean thriller I Saw The Devil. I have to admit I'm starting to become impressed with the new additions to the cast. They seem to be actually setting up a viable action film franchise here.

Dwayne Johnson In Talks For G.I. Joe: Cobra Strikes

Deadline reports that Dwayne Johnson is circling the role of Roadblock in G.I. Joe: Cobra Strikes. The sequel will re-tool the characters and tone of the first film. A bulk of the cast from the first film along with the director won't be returning for the second installment.

Dwayne Johnson is the first step in the right direction. He's slowly gaining back the action star credibility he had originally earned from The Rundown. Johnson got distracted with paychecks for terrible family films but with Faster/Fast Five he seems back on track. He's a legitimate action star which the Rise of Cobra was missing among other things.

For Paramount G.I. Joe 2 might be their big summer film of 2012 as Star Trek 2 is being pushed back to the holiday season. I'd like to think that they know there is a solid fanbase for Joes like with Transformers but they need to reel in the quality to expand interested audiences. New director Jon M. Chu gives the impression he's an actual fan of the characters and could make a slightly more grounded adventure. Working with a script from Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (Deadpool, Zombieland) who are it would be hard not to outdo the original.

Ray Park Confirms Returning As Snake Eyes In G.I. Joe 2

Ray Park (X-Men) has confirmed via Twitter that he is returning for G.I. Joe 2. Reprising the role of silent Joe Snake Eyes. It had been mentioned by actress Rachel Nichols that Duke, Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes would be the only returning characters. I find it doubtful that they would exclude Cobra Commander and Baroness as they are the most popular of the Cobra members. Park is the first confirmed returning cast member. I'd hope that Paramount would consider recasting Duke and Baroness and making this more of a reboot/reworking than a sequel. The film has a script written by Rhett Reese and Wernick (Zombieland, Deadpool) which is expected to be giant step up from the first film.

Fox Hires Director For Deadpool!

Deadline reports that 20th Century Fox and producer Lauren Shuler Donner have chosen a director for Deadpool. They've hired first time director Tim Miller with Ryan Reynolds still attached to star. Miller is an interesting choice as he is best known as a visual effects director working on comic book films such as X-Men 1-2 and Scott Pilgrim. It's not that terrible of an idea as the film would have a similar "look" as the first two X-Men films while being it's own thing. Neill Blomkamp had a similar background as Miller before making District 9 and working on the effects himself cutting down the post-production costs. Eventually making a 30-40 million dollar film look like it was done for $100-150 million. This could be a tactic used by Fox to make a large scale R-rated film like District 9 without spending the money they would on a PG-13 comic book film.

It's unknown when this could start production as Fox is still looking for a director to take over The Wolverine for Darren Aronofsky. I wouldn't be shocked to see Deadpool move forward sooner than expected with a script and director now in place. Ryan is also attached but not committed to R.I.P.D. which Zach Galifianakis just dropped out and is set for summer production start. I'd like to think Reynolds would be more committed to making Deadpool first as he's been involved with it since day one.

Lauren Shulder Donner Talks Deadpool, Will Be Faithful R-Rated Comedy & Renyolds Still In

X-Men producer Lauren Shulder Donner also talked to Empire about their spin-off Deadpool. She confirms that they are currently looking for a director. Also the film is an R-rated comedy that will be a complete reboot and could take shots at the fan-hated version seen in Wolverine. This confirms previous statements made by Daredevil director David Slade that Fox was looking for comedy directors to make Deadpool. Lauren gives the impression that the studio is willing to wait for Ryan Reynolds and he's very involved with the film's script.

"We're looking for a director, yes. He’s very involved, Ryan. He’s working with the writers on the screenplay and it is as much as it is ours....mindful of Reynolds' ever-growing logjam of work, added that the film would shoot in the next year or so."

"We’re either going to pretend that didn’t happen or mock it, which he could. It’s insane, it’s definitely comedy, but it’s an R script, it’s really irreverent and violent. Right away, we’re out of the X-Men world...I'm tellin' ya, it's true to the comic. You’ll see all of them. You’ll see Wade Wilson, the good-looking Ryan Reynolds! You’ll see Deadpool in his costume and you’ll see the cancer-scarred face."

5 Comedy Directors That Should Be Considered For Deadpool

Daredevil director David Slade recently tweeted that Fox is currently looking for "comedy directors" to make the Deadpool film. It's not surprising as the "merc with a mouth" is full of nothing but one liners and quick wit. While they had previously pursued Robert Rodriquez it's likely they're now looking for someone able to balance the high level of comedy with the extreme action of a comic book film. If Ryan Reynolds is committed to doing the film and making sure it's R-rated I have a few names in mind for Fox to consider.



DAVID GORDON GREEN: One of the only people connected with the Apatow crew that I believe could do this right. David's madness of fusing adrenaline fueled action with slapstick comedy was best shown in Pineapple Express. Your Highness looks like it could be just as crazy this time giving the director the chance to work with a bigger budget and special effects. If Fox wants a comic book film that we've never seen before he certainly could deliver one.



JAMES GUNN: On the same level of "what the fuck moments" that Gordon Green has James Gunn could be just as mad when it comes to bringing Deadpool to the screen. His films Slither and the upcoming Super are set in a surreal world that screams Deadpool. Another director who give us an exciting, violent and bizarre ride.



JODY HILL: Jody is best known for his amazing HBO series East Bound & Down along with his dark comedies Fist Foot Way and Observe & Report. His sense of smart quips and dark humor could be great for Deadpool. My only issue with Hill is that he hasn't had much experience with large scale action setups or special effects and could feel overwhelmed by the action scenes.



JOE CORNISH: Currently Joe Cornish is gaining more commercial writing gigs teaming up with Edgar Wright for the Spielberg/Peter Jackson Tintin trilogy along with Marvel's long in development Ant-Man. Edgar has enough on his plate with Baby Driver, Ant-Man and World's End so he's out of the running in my mind. Cornish on the other hand is getting a lot of buzz for his original film Attack The Block which won over a lot of critics over at SXSW this year. I have yet to see the film but if he's able to deliver a film on the cheap for Fox they would seriously consider him.



RUBEN FLEISCHER: The man behind the resurrection of America's love affair with zombies and more than likely helped AMC commit to making Walking Dead. He's currently working on post-production on 30 Minutes Or Less and has mentioned wanting to start filming Zombieland 2 in the near future. The obvious Zombieland connection to Deadpool screenwriters Paul Wernick and Rhett makes him a excellent choice as Ruben understands how to shoot their scripts properly while also keeping to a minimal budget.



WHO DO YOU THINK SHOULD DIRECT DEADPOOL??

Rachel Nichols Says Duke, Snake Eyes & Storm Shadow Are The Only Ones Returning For G.I. Joe 2

Actress Rachel Nichols who starred in Rise of Cobra tweeted that the only returning cast members would be Channing Tatum, Ray Park and Byung-Hun Lee. While this doesn't seem too shocking it does speak volumes on the direction Paramount and new director Jon M. Chu will be going with the sequel. 

I wouldn't be shocked if they go for a bit of a reboot with the sequel. The first film while fun did a lot of damage to the canon of the franchise. Mainly ruining the look and characteristics of the Baroness and Cobra Commander essentially the best villains of the series likely contributed by recently ousted director Stephen Sommers.


I'm still on the fence about Tatum as an actor as he hasn't given a lot of standout performances but playing a role like Duke doesn't need a awards caliber actor. Ray Park was solid as rock in the first film except his costume's mask looked more like a bondage outfit. Hopefully they fix all the awful costume issues in the new film. Lee also was excellent in the film and will be gathering a lot of film geek praise for his role in the Korean thriller I Saw The Devil. 


It's not surprised they aren't asking Marlon Wayans, Dennis Quaid, Sienna Miller and Christopher Eccleston as they phoned in their performances. Talented actors like Joesph Gordon and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje could have gone onto greener pastures as they have since been involved in some high profile projects making them more expensive. I'd like to see them bring in some new talent but keep the Cobra characters in place and even expanding on them.

Jon M. Chu Chosen To Direct G.I. Joe 2

Deadline reports that Paramount Pictures has decided on a director for G.I. Joe: Revenge of Cobra. It's Jon M. Chu who is best known for the Step Up series and the Justin Bieber documentary Never Say Never. It's an odd choice but seems like the studio wants to keep the project in check. Hiring a lesser known name could allow them to have more control over the production and not let it slip into the bizarre zone like Sommer's film did. I don't think this is a terrible choice but it will be met with some skepticism until we get a trailer. He hasn't finalized a deal with the studio but is the frontrunner at the moment and has been told by Paramount as such.

Chu recently spoke to MTV on his thoughts of directing a G.I. Joe sequel before this news broke. It sounds like he is an actual fan growing up with the original cartoon and believes there is still a movie to be told for "real" fans of the franchise. I believe Chu is from my generation it's a big bonus for fans as he could take the film to places a non-fan couldn't.


"'Joe' is something I've loved since I was a kid," he told us. "I still think there's a movie out there that can be done for the real 'Joe' fans, the one we've been waiting for that hasn't been done before."


"My era was 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,' 'G.I. Joe' and 'Transformers,'" he continued. "When 'Joe' changed their theme song from the old style—'Go Joe!'—to 'Got to get tough, go Joe!' That was the era I was in. Those are the fun, glory years that I remember."

While there is a script in place by the interesting writing duo of Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese (Zombieland, Deadpool, Venom) they haven't signed anyone to reprise their roles. Paramount is first going after Channing Tatum to return as Duke but don't expect everyone to come back. I assume actors like Sienna Miller, Joesph Gordon-Levitt, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and Rachel Nichols could need some convincing as they have other projects to consider.

F. Gary Gray In The Running To Direct G.I. Joe: Revenge of Cobra

LatinoReview has yet another interesting story this time focusing on G.I. Joe II: Revenge of Cobra. Stephen Sommers who directed the first film had previously left the franchise. It was expected as he struggled to get his vision of the film made while making Paramount nervous beyond belief. While the studio did make money from the movie they were ultimately unhappy with the final outcome. That being said Paramount has hired the screenwriting duo of Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (Deadpool, Venom, Zombieland) to work on the sequel's script so they're already moving in the right direction.

LatinoReview reveals that three directors are in the running to helm the sequel F. Gary Gray, Jaume Collet-Serra and John Chu. F. Gary Gray is the best of the bunch mentioned as he an extensive resume of action films some good and some okay. They include The Negotiator, Set It Off, The Italian Job remake and Law Abiding Citizen. Gray was also in talks to direct Bruce Willis and Jamie Foxx in Kane & Lynch but seems to have moved on. Jaume Collet-Serra is rising director as he's just been tapped to direct Harker, a new take on Dracula for Warner Bros. His previous films include House of Wax, The Orphan and the upcoming thriller Unknown. Chu on the other hand is laughable as a candidate as he's only known for Step Up and the Justin Bieber film Never Say Never.

Could Bryan Singer Direct X-Men 4, New Mutants Or Deadpool?

HeroComplex had an extensive interview with cast, director Matthew Vaughn and producer Bryan Singer from X-Men First Class. While they were doing damage control over the bad cast photo which leaked. Singer praised the new cast and is aiming to direct another film in the near future. Previously producer Lauren Shuler Donner confirmed Singer's interest in directing X4.

Singer had been attached to make First Class but ultimately had to give it over to Matthew Vaughn. So he could focus on his Warner Bros. production of Jack The Giant Killer. While it's still uncertain if First Class will be successful in the long run. It's doubtful Singer would make a sequel now that the prequel is very much a Matthew Vaughn thing.

Whatever fans think about Singer he is the reason we have the first two films. I believe that Bryan Singer is the only person that could fix all the problems X3 created. Even if X4 ends up the last film in the series a fourth film very well could be a way for both the director and Fox to make it up to the loyal fans. The only problem would be being able to wrangle Halle Berry, Ian McKellen, Anna Paquin and Ellen Page back for the fourth film.

The other film could be New Mutants which Shuler Donner had confirmed to be in development along with X4 but hadn't been pitched to Fox. I'm sure if New Mutants had Singer attached it could go next. It would be an easy way to avoid the landmines left from X3.

Stephen Lang (Avatar, Conan) could take on the role of Cable who is the leader of the group and is one of the most popular characters in the X-Men universe. Lang caught wind of the fan casting and is up for it. I wouldn't doubt Fox would like to see the Avatar actor in a pivotal role in a new film.

The least likely of the bunch would be Deadpool but if you think about it could work. Singer would more than likely have to take on a film with an existing script and it's the only project in development that has a completed one. While having the likes of Robert Rodriguez or Quentin Tarantino direct are almost unlikely at this point.

Singer could bring something interesting to the Merc With A Mouth. Considering his experience in the world of thieves and mercenaries with The Usual Suspects. My only problem would be his ability to convey the humor that Deadpool spouts along with breaking the fourth wall. If they ever were going to make an X-Force film based on the more recent comics it would be another great project for him to direct.





Which Future X-Men Film Would You Like To See Singer Make? Should He Even Return To The Franchise He Helped Create? Leave Your Comments!

Stephen Sommers Not Returning For G.I. Joe: Revenge of Cobra

LATimes is reporting that director Stephen Sommers will not be returning to make G.I. Joe: Revenge of Cobra. It's not surprising since the stress Paramount got over the expensive experiment. There had been rumors/rumblings from studio insiders the film had been flagged as a disaster during edits. The film ended up a horrible mess but still earned $300 million worldwide even though critics/fan loathed it.

With Sommers' exit I doubt they would replace him with anyone that could do worse. Paramount has potential to make a very exciting sequel with a script written by Hollywood darlings Rhett Rheese and Paul Wernick (Zombieland 1-2, Deadpool, Venom). I hope the studio reaches out to up and coming directors that could really develop this fun cartoony world into a solid franchise.

Paul Wernick & Rhett Reese Writing Cowboy Ninja Viking For Disney

Deadline reports that Disney has bought the film rights to the comic Cowboy Ninja Viking. They're hired Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese to start work on the screenplay. A multiple personality disorder patient is trained to be an assassin with three different skill sets and the personalities that come with them tries to bring down the nefarious organization that made him. The pair are best known for their work on Zombieland but are also gaining praise for the Deadpool script. They've also worked on the Venom spin-off and G.I. Joe: Cobra's Revenge.