Ryan Reynolds' "Deadpool," the foul-mouthed and fourth-wall-breaking superhero movie set to hit theaters this Friday, is generating a lot of buzz among most critics. The majority of professional movie watchers find it to be irreverent, hilarious and unique, and the movie is tracking off the wall for a hard R-rated film. "Deadpool" is projected to pull in anywhere between $50 and $70 million during its opening weekend, a big win for 20th Century Fox.
If the movie performs like everyone thinks it will, Fox will no doubt build a franchise out of it. In fact, The Hollywood Reporter has found out that the studio has already greenlit a sequel behind closed doors. Reynolds will obviously return in the titular role, and it is reported that Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick - producers and writers - will pen the script.
However, it is unknown if director Tim Miller will be back for a second go-around. Miller, a true believer in the project as evidenced by his commitment to directing way back in April 2011, does not have a sequel in his contract with Fox. That being said, it's possible that Fox never believed this niche passion project would generate so much interest as to merit a sequel. If "Deadpool" connects with audiences and makes a decent chunk of change at the box office, then the studio will likely do everything it can to keep Miller on board.
Fox's long-gestating "X-Force" project could be a perfect sequel vehicle for the character of Deadpool, as he has appeared with the team in countless comics. It would also give Fox another high-profile team-up movie in its never-ending power struggle with the Marvel Cinematic Universe for superhero blockbuster dominance.
We don't have any concrete details about the direction of "Deadpool 2," or even if the movie will actually happen. Right now, we just hope "Deadpool" lives up to the considerable hype and, if so, we'll start digging into the sequel more thoroughly.
