Come what may, awards season always arrives with some pleasant and unfortunate surprises. Isabelle Huppert winning a Golden Globe for “Elle” and being lauded for her performance by film critics groups has been especially heartening. Abundant nominations for Tom Ford’s “Nocturnal Animals” has been somewhat of a headscratcher given it was received with very mixed reviews, is somewhat salaciously silly, and that his previous film — the much more Oscar-friendly “A Single Man” — was mostly snubbed by the Academy. But you cannot argue that the biggest surprise of the season so far has been the awards season recognition of “Deadpool.”
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The irreverent superhero action comedy has shocked with its awards season inroads. “Deadpool” scored a Golden Globe nomination for Best Picture and Ryan Reynolds as Best Actor in the Comedy Or Musical categories (though won neither) and it has made massive and unexpected traction with the guilds. The superhero movie even earned itself a PGA (Producers Guild of America) nomination — the clear cut precursor to a Best Picture nomination. Yep, that’s right. As of right now, “Deadpool” is a very possible Oscar contender for Best Picture.
Other guilds bestowed the film with praise too. “Deadpool” scored a Best Adapted Screenplay nomination from the WGA (Writers Guild Of America), a Best Editing nod from ACE and a Breakthrough nomination from the DGA (Director’s Guild Of America) for Best New director. These guilds honors all foreshadow the Oscars, so it’s conceivable that “Deadpool” could earn multiple Oscar nominations.
No one is more baffled, but excited by the prospect of Academy recognition than Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, the screenwriters of “Deadpool” that had been nudging that stone up the mountain slowly since 2009.
“Not even in our wildest dreams, not in our wildest imagination did we ever picture it having an awards season play,” Rhett Reese told us in an interview on Monday in audible disbelief. “I mean, there’s certain things in it that would almost disqualify it from any prestige play. It’s certainly by far the least virtuous, an anti-message movie. It’s almost gloriously anti-virtuous. [The award season recognition] doesn’t make that much sense to us, but we’re thrilled.”
“It’s so surreal, unexpected, but gratifying and so exciting!” an animated Wernick said about the guild acknowledgements. “Being recognized by your peers and by critics, and even audiences at large, the People’s Choice awards, it feels wonderful. I think we were an apple among oranges in terms of what our movie was and why it appealed to people. I think it’s that unique Deadpool [character] voice is what crazily become an awards season push. I think we took a risk putting this movie out, Fox certainly did and it just feels really, really, great to get rewarded for taking that risk.”
“A lot of these movies, these serious, prestige films that we are competing against, I think many of them get recognized because they are movies that are generally hard to get made in this climate,” Warnick continued. “But I feel like ‘Deadpool’ was similarly as difficult to get made as some of these other movies. Not because it was a Marvel superhero movie because it was so different and so yeah, so I think that plays a huge part.”
Reese jumped in and stressed “Deadpool” was just as much of a passion project as any prestige Oscar player. “People would ask us in 2009, ‘What’s your passion project?’ and we would always say with a straight face, ‘Deadpool!’ Usually a ‘passion project’ is a small movie, autobiographical or take on difficult subject matter and it is one that a filmmaker is waiting to become powerful enough to make. And it’s ironic that a big Marvel super hero movie was our passion project, but it really, really was.”
Pressed to give any final thoughts on their Oscar chances they blanched. “I mean, who knows what’s going to happen in a week and a day.” Wernick said. Not that you’re counting down the days.” Reese laughed at him. ‘No not at all! [laughs], what is it 5:00AM when the awards are announced? I haven’t really let it in at all.”
“Deadpool” has parted ways with its director Tim Miller amid rumors that he bumped heads with Ryan Reynolds over casting and budget. And Miller, of course, scored a terrific credit by earning himself a DGA nod for First-Time Feature Film Director. Given the split and one said to be acrimonious, I had to ask the writers if they thought the nod from the guilds was bittersweet.
“No, it’s just sweet for us,” Wernick explained. “We love Tim, he did a marvelous job with the first movie and we’re so thrilled that he’s being recognized on the project.”
While they didn’t write the cheeky For Your Consideration ad that Ryan Reynolds helped cook up, they have written Deadpool marketing ads in the past and most of all are over the moon they have a star this invested in their project. “He drives the marketing campaigns,” Wernick said. “Fox’s marketing teams is amazing, but they had the terrific advantage of having Ryan. He is absolutely monster when it comes to helping sell the movie. He’s tireless, committed, and not only agreeable, but often times enhancing the campaign in a way that really captures the irreverent spirit of the movie.”
Many Oscar movies get a second life and re-release during the awards season. Could that ever happen with “Deadpool” should it find some love with the Academy come Tuesday when the nominations are announced? “That’s a great idea, I don’t know if Fox is considering that and we would support it if that were the case, but it’s a good idea,” Wernick said.
Great, I’ll take all the credit I suggested. “Yeah, we’ll send you 10% of whatever the box office makes.” Perfect.
“Deadpool” is available now on Blu-Ray/DVD and pretty much every streaming outlet that exists.