3. The Script Was Sitting on a Shelf Until a Talking Raccoon Changed Everything
By 2010, Zombieland writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick had handed in a script for a stand-alone Deadpool film that blew Rob away. Although their script contained all the key components that would appear in the finished film, Fox was reluctant to give the go-ahead.
“The screenplay that I read from Paul and Rhett in 2010 is the same movie you saw in 2016, but it just sat there for six years,” says Rob. He points out that the only key changes were some elements and scenes being pared down in the actual film.
Things finally changed when Deadpool test footage was leaked in the summer of 2014 and earned a rabid online response. Then, weeks later, Guardians of the Galaxy was a huge summer hit for Disney. Rob says that a former Fox exec told him that the Monday after Guardians‘ opening weekend, Fox quickly hit the green light on Deadpool, armed with the confidence that a comedic-leaning film about a group of less-heralded heroes could still find an audience.
4. Tim Miller Ended Up in the Director’s Chair After More Established Names Declined
Rob recalls that Spy Kids director Robert Rodriguez was on the verge of signing on to direct, way back in summer of 2011, but ultimately turned it down. Then Hot Fuzz director Edgar Wright was offered the project before Tim Miller, a visual-effects specialist who had never directed a feature film, landed the gig.
“Tim was hungry to prove how much he could flex, and I think you see it with the action, with the special effects, with the performances,” says Rob, who praises Tim for making the film look so impressive despite its limited budget. He also credits the director for creating Deadpool’s interactive eyes, which “gave us the land of a thousand memes,” Rob quips.
Stefan Kapičić was appreciative of the low-key atmosphere that Tim managed to create amid the high level of pressure. “Tim has this specific and amazing way to make you relax, and can wake the talent that you don’t even know you have,” the Colossus actor explains. “He’s maybe the best director that I’ve worked with.”