Just how many characters based on comic book titles can one man play? Ryan Reynolds, who is already hard at work on Green Lantern, is attempting to snatch the record, signing up to star as one half of a deceased cop team who keep ghosts in line for RIPD.
Producer Neil Moritz, talking to the ever-vigilant Frosty over at Collider, has revealed that Reynolds will take on two roles for him – one he’s already been announced for (body swap comedy The Change-Up for David Dobkin) and RIPD.
So what’s the 411 on RIPD? “It’s terrific - based on the graphic novel," says Mortz. "It’s about two cops, one recently dead and a gunslinger who’s been dead for hundreds of years that work on the Rest in Peace department - which is the police department of the dead. It takes place on a normal day and it’s about trying to keep the spirits quiet.”
The project itself, which has been adapted from Peter M Lenkov’s 1999 Dark Horse title by writers Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi, has floated around development limbo since at least 2006. Back then, Dobkin was announced as the director, but there’s no word on whether he’ll tackle both or just stick to The Change-Up, which kicks off shooting in October, with RIPD set to follow in January.
And as for Reynolds' other big planned comic book role in Deadpool? That’s anyone’s guess – given the speed at which the Fox superhero films are developing, it could be a while before the merc with a mouth gets his own movie.