The screenwriters and executive producers of Deadpool take us through the fight to bring the movie to the screen….
It took more than six years of development for Foxs X-Men spin-off movieDeadpoolto make it to the big screen.
Along the way, multiple script drafts were written and manifold Marvel Comics characters were dropped in and out.
When you guys were first brought into script forDeadpoolit was 2010, according to the internet-so-it-must-be-true.
Is that about right?
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RR:Yeah!
PW:We have written a draft of the script in every calendar year since.
OurDeadpoolfile is… full, to capacity.
Back at the start, it cant have been too long sinceX-Men Origins: Wolverine.
Just by virtue of the fact that theyd gotten it wrong the first time.
Once they acknowledged that… Reboot it, almost instantly.
And thats what we did.
Did you ask at all, why the decisions that had been made last time had happened?
Or just ignore it and move on?
PW:Yeah, we just ignored it and moved on.
It was one that, I think, the fans… didnt love.
And Ryan himself, and Fox, would all say it had been a fairly large misstep.
A mischaracterisation of Deadpool.
So, he [Reynolds] more than anyone wanted to do it right.
And I feel that we really did get it right this time.
To go through that process from the start, was there anything that Fox said you definitely could do?
Or strictly had to do?
Or was it quite a free rein that you had?
RR:Well, we were really given free rein.
Thankfully, in the long run, we had a regime at Fox that was very receptive.
So, we never felt like we had a bit in our mouth.
We always were able to do what we wanted, pretty much from the beginning up until now.
The draft evolved over the course of time, we dipped into a PG-13 draft at one point.
To be the apple among oranges, and really embrace it.
Garrison Kane was in a draft.
Um, it was an either-or situation between those two.
But an earlier draft had a few characters that didnt end up in the final draft.
One wasPatch, the bartender at Sister Margarets.
And then Angel Dust wasnt in that draft, that early draft.
And was Cable in the mix at one stage, or was that just a rumour?
RR:No, we never included Cable.
Though, obviously hed be high on a list of suspects for the sequel if there is one.
From a behind-the-scenes perspective, what changed when that test footage leaked in 2014?
It looks like everything rushed forward after that…
PW:Well, everything changed really.
I mean, you know, Tim Miller our director had so brilliantly crafted this test back in 2011.
And there was that positive affirmation that the studio really said, you know, lets make this thing.
There is a market place for this.
And it was the fans that drove that, and it was really exciting to watch.
And was that footage scripted by you two?
So, we did alter some things and it ended with Deadpool waving to camera and saying Hi Tom!
and the Tom in question was Tom Rothman, the head of the studio at the time.
We were appealing to him, to try and get him to green-light the movie.
PW:Whats so amazing, is that theres not a frame of that test that was live action.
It was entirely created in a computer by Tim.
Hes just a visual effects maestro and that was all mo-cap and CG, so.
You cant even tell, can you?
PW:Yeah, there was a time when were going to do the whole movie that way.
And again, Tim, being the visual effects maestro, really embraced that.
And he made the movie look so grand and so big on such a small budget, you know?
The film proper opens with Deadpool already in his suit and ready to kick some ass.
What was your reasoning for jumping in there, rather than telling it in order?
RR:Well, Ryan very much pushed the idea of an origin story.
But, Deadpools origin story is pretty dark.
And we felt that, told linearly, it would be depressing and oppressive.
So, what we did, was, we weaved a current story with the past story.
And the current story is much more comedic, at least in the first two thirds of the script.
If you want to go in cold, maybe leave this bit for now.]
Yeah, it works so well… Is there a line that youre most proud of in the movie?
The studio could only afford two of you Ryan adlib.
Thats one of my absolute favourites.
Speaking of Vanessa, her and Negasonic Teenage Warhead are both such standout characters.
Not weak, in the slightest.
How important was it for you to get those characters right?
PW:Well, its hugely important.
The Vanessa-Wade-Deadpool relationship is really the heartbeat of the movie.
It gives the movie the heart and the grounding a movie like this needs.
So that was hugely, hugely important.
And I feel it gives it the emotional heartbeat.
And makes you care about these guys.
And so yeah, female characters we just think of them as characters.
And we try and write them as we would any other character.
You know, as complex as people are.
But, I think we really tried to make him an equal opportunities offender.
The music is very important to the film, as well.
PW:Yeah, the music was scripted in on the page.
So… what others?
PW:Yeah, Wham!
So, Id say most of the tracks in there were scripted.
RR:And then some were a little serendipitous.
But is a fun soundtrack, Id put it up there with theGuardians Of The Galaxysoundtrack.
And if we do, we change it.
And all that survived on-screen… the lawyers must have been okay with it.
Or asleep at the wheel, were not sure which.
Did the lawyers come back on quite a lot of stuff, or not really?
PW:And David Beckham!
That got a massive laugh at the screening in London that I went to.
PW:I can imagine!
That was probably the biggest laugh, was it, in the theatre?
Another thing you send up in the script is the confusing continuity of theX-Menfranchise itself.
RR:Well, we need theX-Menfranchise to catch up.
But, Simon Kinberg was always the keeper of the flame.
And he knows that timeline better than anyone.
So, basically wed just turn to him and say is it okay?
and then Paul had the inspired idea, at one point, to have Deadpool talk about it directly.
Oh, hes gonna meet Professor X.
Which Professor X is he going to meet?
Because we had some of these same confusing conversations.
We thought, wouldnt it be fun to have Professor X?
And then we scratch our heads like, wait, would that be McAvoy or Stewart at this point?
We havent got a huge amount of time left here… whats next on your slate?
PW:Well, were just enjoying the process right now.
This has been really fun.
Again, its been a long long long time coming.
So were really soaking every moment in.
RR:Were also very close to a new film.
Possibly shooting this summer.
If, knock wood, it happens.
CalledLife, its a very fun science fiction, thriller, horror throw in movie.
So we have a fun six months ahead, we hope!
It all hinges on whether audiences go to see Deadpool.
So, we have every finger crossed right now.
PW:I thinkLifehas actual plans to shoot in London, I believe, this summer.
RR:So if things go well, we could be in your backyard.
And are you guys still involved withZombieland 2, or is that in other hands now?
But were not involved in actually putting pen to paper on that.
PW:I think it might be a little too early to tell.
Everyone, I think, wants to make it, its a just a question of making it right.
So thats the mandate right now.
Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, thank you very much!
Deadpoolis in UK cinemas now.
