A sequel to the zeitgeist-shifting superhero movie Deadpool is to move into production, with star Ryan Reynolds and director Tim Miller both set to return, studio 20th Century Fox has confirmed.
Screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick are also returning for the follow-up to the highest-grossing “R” rated movie of all time. Deadpool overtook the Wachowskis’ 2003 sci-fi sequel The Matrix Reloaded last month to break the record, and has now posted receipts of $757.3m (£672m) worldwide.
Few would have expected Miller’s film to be such a success based on Reynolds’ listless previous outing as the “Merc with a Mouth” in 2009’s oft-derided X-Men Origins: Wolverine. But the project’s creative team, including Miller and Reynolds, worked hard to convince Fox that a solo outing would attract an audience, and the leaking of test footage in 2014 led to a viral sensation that subsequently saw the film greenlit.
Success for the foul-mouthed mutant has ushered in predictions of a new wave of comic-book movies aimed at adults. There have been rumours that Hugh Jackman’s final turn as Wolverine, also a 20th Century Fox project, will also now be R-rated.
Few further details were available about the Deadpool sequel, which was confirmed at the CinemaCon event in Las Vegas on Thursday.
