Ryan Reynolds Explains Why He Doesn't Want to Direct Movies
Ryan Reynolds, star of the new film The Adam Project, explains why directing doesn't interest him. The Adam Project reunites Reynolds with Free Guy director Shawn Levy, who has also helmed the Night at the Museum trilogy and several episodes of Netflix's Stranger Things. Aside from Reynolds, the cast also includes Walker Scobell, Zoe Saldaña, Catherine Keener, Mark Ruffalo, and Jennifer Garner. The Adam Project follows Adam (Reynolds), a time-traveling pilot, as he teams with his younger self (Scobell) and his late father (Ruffalo) to reconcile his past and save the future.
In addition to acting, Reynolds also serves as a producer for The Adam Project, which is one of the many hats he has donned in his ever-expanding career. Reynolds has previously served as a producer on Free Guy and both Deadpool films, even receiving a writing credit for Deadpool 2. He also has several projects lined up in the future as a producer, like Dragon's Lair and a new take on Clue. With such an eclectic resume, directing seems like it could be the next natural step, but Reynolds may beg to differ.
In a recent interview with Collider to promote The Adam Project, Reynolds was asked if directing interested him after his wife, Blake Lively, directed Taylor Swift's "I Bet You Think About Me" music video. Reynolds was quick to respond, "It genuinely doesn't." He then explains why, saying that producing, storytelling, and performing all heavily interest him because he loves the creative process while also having someone at the helm to bounce his ideas off. While Reynolds seems open to codirecting something with Levy down the road, he feels like directing solo "would be idiotic." Check out Reynold's comments below:
"It genuinely doesn’t... Storytelling interests me in every way, shape, and form. Producing interests me in every way, shape, and form. Same with performing. And I get to work with guys like Shawn Levy. I don't know why I would try to think I can do that on my own. That would be idiotic. If I could direct something with Shawn Levy down the road someday, that would be nice. But no, I love the position I'm in. I love that I get to work with folks that I get to work with. I also just really feel like, why would I deprive myself of that amazing collaborator? I just think that's so important in everything that I do. I don't ever pretend to be a person who's just unilaterally deciding this or that. I love the creative process of having someone to bounce something off of. I love the creative process of trial and error, of ripping something apart and rebuilding it again. That's the thing that I'm most interested in, and I love doing that with someone."
Actors stepping behind the camera to direct is nothing new, and in doing so, some have found great success. Ben Affleck has directed several critically acclaimed films, like Gone Baby Gone, The Town, and Argo, which also won the Academy Award for Best Picture. Clint Eastwood is also a highly lauded director, having directed five films that would go on to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, with Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby both winning. Given the potential, it may seem odd that Reynolds has no interest in directing. However, actors turned directors have also produced less than stellar results. For example, Andy Garcia's 2005 film The Lost City was criticized for being overly long and having uneven direction, and Nicolas Cage's directorial debut Sonny was panned for an overall ineptitude in acting and story.
Reynolds may not be taking a seat in the director's chair anytime soon, though he has plenty of projects on the horizon to keep him busy. Most notably, the long-gestating Deadpool 3 has been confirmed, though there are no exact details on when it may happen. However, rumors say that Deadpool could appear in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness later this year. For now, audiences can catch Reynolds in The Adam Project on Netflix.
Source: Collider