Ryan Reynolds Says DEADPOOL's Rating Holding Back It's Greenlight, Could Director Tim Miller Exit?

HeyUGuys while interviewing Ryan Reynolds about his animated film The Croods got a brief comment about Deadpool's current status. It doesn't sound like Fox is ready to put it into production just yet, as the rating might be holding it back. Nothing says the studio will change their mind since there are plenty of R-rated comic book films coming out this year. It's had a script in place by Paul Wernick and Rheet Reese (Zombieland, Venom, G.I. Joe: Retaliation) for years now along with Tim Miller attached to direct.

"It's up to the studio. The studio I think is reluctant to pull the trigger on such a hard Rated-R script. Then the guys who wrote it and the producers won't make it unless it's that hard and, you know, raunchy." 

Fox at the moment is busy with The Wolverine (coming in July), X-Men Days of Future Past (shooting   this Spring/Summer) and The Fantastic Four reboot (later this year or early 2014). R-rated comic book films are getting more of upswing recently. 300, Sin City and Kick-Ass have been very popular and profitable R-rated comic book films post-Blade. All three movies will have sequels released in 2013 and are expected to make a solid amount of box office. So it's hard to think the rating is the only thing holding Deadpool back. Fox is also putting together an adaptation of Mark Millar's Nemesis with Joe Carnahan (attached to write/direct) which is also going to end up with a hard R-rating.

On the production side of things, since landing the directing gig on Deadpool Tim Miller has signed on to make a numerous amount of other films including Gravel (Legendary Pictures), Seasons (Sony Pictures) and just recently Artemis (20th Century Fox). I assume Miller's involvement with the film could be questionable at this point with three other films in development. My assumption is that Joe Carnahan might end up taking over direction duties. Joe already put together another Marvel film for Fox with their attempt at a Daredevil reboot. He also tried to put together a film based on the Marvel villain Taskmaster for Fox.

The elephant in the room is the disaster of Green Lantern bombing and it's massive failure could have tainted Ryan's career as a lead in superhero films. Rumblings that R.I.P.D. could have similar issues might be giving Fox cold-feet about having Ryan kept as the lead of the film. So don't be shocked if Reynolds leaves the production and Fox looks for other actors. I could see actual comedic actors like Jason Segel, Zachary Levi and Bill Hader be considered if Ryan ultimately leaves. If Chris Pratt can get super ripped for Guardians of The Galaxy these guys can do the same.

Tim Miller To Direct Sci-Fi Flick SEASONS

Deadline reports that Sony Pictures has acquired the rights to Joe Haldeman's Seasons and has set Tim Miller to direct. You might remember that Ridley Scott was trying to put together a film based on Haldeman's The Forever War. Seasons focuses on an anthropological expedition to a planet with sentient humanoids that goes horribly awry. This is the second film (Legendary's Gravel) project Miller has attached himself to since the announcement he would direct Deadpool for Fox. It begs the question, when will the studio announce his exit from Deadpool?

Tim Miller To Direct Gravel For Legendary Pictures

Hollywood has officially fallen under the spell of VFX guru Tim Miller of Blur Studio. Deadline reports Miller has been hired by Legendary Pictures to direct Gravel which is based on the comic book written by Warren Ellis. The comic focuses on William Gravel, a soldier in the British S.A.S. who uses his skills in dark magic to moonlight and battle supernatural beings for clients in order to make some extra cash.

Last year 20th Century Fox announced Miller would be directing the Deadpool movie which would re-introduce the merc-with-a-mouth to audiences. Since that announcement little progress has been made while The Wolverine is about to go into production and the X-Men First Class sequel is quickly moving forward. This might be the extra nudge that Fox needs to finally put Deadpool into production before Miller is swayed into making Gravel instead. I assume they got Miller on the cheap but if he keeps getting these type of offers for more money it might lead him to exit Deadpool. The studio has been keen on Ryan Reynolds reprising the role of Wade Wilson keeping the production on hold until he finishes up other movies. Now seems the best time to move forward before Miller moves to other things.