Netflix is trying to stay in the Ryan Reynolds business, while also looking to get in on the high-profile video game adaptation trend at the same time. The streaming service is currently working on a movie based on the 1980s classic arcade gameDragon Slayer. Reynolds is being eyed not only to star in the movie, but also produce as well.
According to a new report,Ryan Reynolds, star ofDeadpoolandThe Hitman’s Bodyguard, is currently in talks for the project. Should the deal close, Reynolds will star inDragon’s Lair, as well as produce via his Maximum Effort production company. Roy Lee is also on board as a producer through his company Vertigo Entertainment, as is Trevor Engelson for Underground Films. Don Bluth, Gary Goldman and Jon Pomeroy are also attached as producers. Dan and Kevin Hageman (Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark,The LEGO Movie) are set to pen the screenplay. There is no word yet on who might end up in the director’s chair.
It’s said thatNetflixspent a year trying to lock down the rights to the game.Dragon’s Lairwas created by Rick Dyer and Don Bluth. Released in 1983, it was revolutionary at the time. The arcade game used Laserdisc technology, which made for groundbreaking graphics that were far ahead of their time. Thevideo gamehas earned its place in pop culture history and has been referenced in several popular shows includingFamily GuyandStranger Things. Simply speaking, the game centers on a knight, Dirk the Daring, who is tasked with rescuing Princess Daphne from the evil dragon Singe and a wizard named Mordroc.
Should the project move forward as planned, it would mark the third major collaboration between Ryan Reynolds and Netflix. Thestreaming servicepreviously worked with the 43-year-old star on6 Underground, last year’s big-budget Michael Bay action flick, as well asRed Notice, an original thriller from director Rawson Thurber that will also star Dwayne Johnson and Gal Gadot. This also comes at a time when it seems Hollywood has started to crack the code on video game adaptations after years of trial and error.Sonic the Hedgehogrecently did well both critically and commercially, as did 2019’sDetective Pikachu. Coincidentally, thePokemonflick featured Reynolds as the voice of Pikachu.
This will also mark the second collaboration between Dan and Kevin Hageman and Ryan Reynolds. The Hagemans penned the screenplay forThe Croods 2, which is currently set to arrive in theaters in December. Reynolds also has the 20th Century Studios action/comedyFree Guyon deck. At present, it’s set to arrive in July, but given the uncertainty floating around Hollywood right now, that date could shift. Reynolds has also completedThe Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, a sequel to the 2017 comedy co-starring Samuel L. Jackson and Salma Hayek, which is slated for August. This news comes to us viaThe Hollywood Reporter.
