Lisa Carroll
Surprisingly – if only because we haven’t once heard his name mentioned in relation to the project, well not before yesterday when the trades announced that he, Bradley Cooper and Justin Timberlake were the finalists for the role – Warner Bros have decided to go with the always-dependable Ryan Reynolds as their “Green Lantern”.
Reynolds, no stranger to comic book movies having also starred in “Blade Trinity” and “X-Men Origins : Wolverine”, will make a great Emerald Avenger though. Really good choice. I personally think the role suits him to a tee.
Reynolds and his representatives entered negotiations for the part Friday, after the studio held two rounds of screen tests for the actor, “Hangover” star Cooper (who many, including myself, assumed had the role in the bag) and “Chapter 27” thespian Jared Leto. Popsinger Timberlake also did a screen test.
I can’t imagine Fox will be too happy with Reynolds appointment as the popular DC Comics’ character – given they recently greenlit their own Reynolds-led superhero project, “Deadpool” (with the actor reprising his “Wolverine” role). You may recall Rothman’s crowd weren’t exactly happy when Jimmy Marsden agreed to appear in Warner Bros’ “Superman Returns”, just before he was about to reprise his role as Cyclops for Fox’s “X-Men : The Last Stand”. They didn’t stop him and likely couldn’t if there was nothing in the contract suggesting he could only do their superhero flick, but I’m sure the waters got choppy there for a while.
Reynolds, a huge comic-book fan, was once attached to play ‘The Flash’, another popular DC Comics’ character, in another WB-produced flick. That never eventuated.
Martin Campbell will direct “The Flash”. The studio is still working on the picture’s budget, but production is expected to begin in January in Australia.
