Deadpool 2 returns to cinemas this festive season, but under a new name and with a new cast member.
Fox will release the “shameless cash grab” on the 12 December under the name Once Upon a Deadpool.
However, unlike the original Deadpool 2, which was aimed at the adult market, the new incarnation will have a PG-13 rating as the studio hopes to entice younger cinemagoers on their Christmas holidays.
“Fox has been asking for a PG-13 basically since the start in 2006,” Ryan Reynolds told Deadline. “I’ve said no since 2006. Now, this one time, I said ‘Yes’ on two conditions.
“First, a portion of the proceeds had to go to charity. Second, I wanted to kidnap Fred Savage. The second condition took some explaining…”
The studio – which will soon be purchased by Disney – gave in to both Renolds’ demands. First, they agreed that $1 from each ticket sold should go to the charity “F**k Cancer”, which has been renamed “Fudge Cancer” for the kid-aimed campaign.
Second, they hired Wonder Years actor Fred Savage to film a set of new sequences that will frame the movie as a bedtime story told by Deadpool. Reynolds conceived the scenes with writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, and they were all filmed within a day.
“While my participation in this film was anything but voluntary,” Savage said. ”I am happy to learn that Fudge Cancer will be the beneficiary of this shameless cash grab.”
Upon initial release, Deadpool 2 was a huge success, grossing $734 million worldwide. A sequel is currently in the works.
