Since June, Robert Rodriguez has been tentatively attached to direct “Deadpool” and since then, nothing has really firmed up. At the end of July talks apparently turned into negotiations for Rodriguez to helm, but still, nothing is solid and speaking to Deadline, the director seems to hint that the film may have to move on without him if they can’t work within the tiny mutual window of opportunity for scheduling.
“We haven’t really gotten into the discussion, but they are trying to make a certain small window that’s going to be tough because of Spy Kids,” Rodriguez told Deadline. “If they push it back, it would be a lot better for me.”
However, pushing it back might be a problem. Ryan Reynolds’ schedule is insanely packed for the next twelve months at least. In early 2011, he is set to shoot “Safe House” with Denzel Washington and last we heard is that Fox is trying to schedule “Deadpool” for a spring/late spring shoot. If that’s the case, it would put Rodriguez potentially in the midst of post-production work on “Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World” which begins shooting next month. The other issue is that Reynolds also wants to do “R.I.P.D.” and plans are tentatively set to shoot it directly after “Deadpool.”
So, will Rodriguez take on “Deadpool”? It looks a little doubtful right now and don’t be surprised if we start to hear new names as contenders for the job. Then again, nothing seems decided quite yet. Rodriguez’s “Machete” hits theaters this weekend, September 3, so better for 20th Century Fox to see how that film performs before they sign on the dotted line, but they love the guy clearly having housed both the grindhouse picture and “Predators” this year.
Updated: Things sound a little bleaker. In an interview with Latino Review this week Rodriguez was a bit more emphatic that he simply doesn’t have time for “Deadpool” right now. “I’m not sure, they gave me an early draft of the script to read and I liked it a lot but I’m kinda busy on ‘Spy Kids’ right now. I’m not able to commit to it right now.”