Anghus Houvouras on the fan petition for Quentin Tarantino to direct Deadpool 2…
“It goes without saying.”
An expression you use when something is so painfully obvious that it shouldn’t require any explanation. For the record, this article should fall under that umbrella.
And yet, here we are listening to a number of supposedly intelligent people talking about what a great pairing Quentin Tarantino and Deadpool would be. Every tweet promoting this idea makes me wince. Every social media mention stirs some bile. Comic book movies are out of control. They’re swallowing up every ounce of creative real estate. Multiplying in our multiplexes, taking over entire networks and streaming services. And now there are those who believe our most gifted auteurs should waste their notable talents on sequels for comic book adaptations.
I liked Deadpool. It was a fun movie with a charismatic cast. Ryan Reynolds and Fox rolled the dice on what many saw as a risky proposition and scored big. No doubt the studio has big plans for the second Deadpool movie. With the origin story out of the way there’s room to tell a big, insane ‘Merc with a Mouth’ story. Tim Miller left the project over ‘creative differences’ and now the Director’s chair is wide open. Apparently fans think there’s no one better suited for this project than Quentin Tarantino.
Because… why exactly?
Maybe it’s because how frequently Tarantino steps into the director’s chair for major studio franchises. Or maybe it’s because Tarantino is so fond of sequels. Plus, it seems pretty obvious that Tarantino rarely has anything in the pipeline and is just waiting by the phone for a creative opportunity to present itself. Or, the more likely scenario is that the people floating this idea are high on some combination of bath salts and yellow jackets and are out of their damn minds.
Seriously? Who wants this? Are there people out there really rooting for an American original like Quentin Tarantino to step in and direct a slight variation on the comic book adaptation? Who are these twisted souls who want to see Tarantino in this role? I realize there are a lot of Deadpool fans and with the success of the feature film there are even more. But Tarantino would be wasted doing a Deadpool movie.
The idea of a Tarantino directed Deadpool movie is the kind of proposition created by fans who don’t understand the creative process and how the studio movie making system works. It’s the product of film fans who believe QT’s blend of humor and violence would be a perfect fit for Wade Wilson’s next adventure. Studios don’t want a strong directorial voice like Tarantino to help shape their fledgling franchise. They want someone who can toe the line and not end up in a state of perpetual friction with the studio and their leading man/producer Ryan Reynolds. Tarantino is a guy who devotes a ridiculous amount of time and obsesses over every single detail. He wants someone to write a check and get out-of-the-way. That is not something you’re going to get from Fox who currently has dollar signs where their eye sockets are when they think about the untold billions a handful of successful Deadpool movies could bring in and would be highly irritated by the idea of handing over whatever tenuous grasp they have on the reigns.
I get it kids. You like Tarantino and you like Deadpool, but this is a terrible idea. Not only because of the sheer ludicrous level of incredulity in the inherent thought, but because the pairing would be a muddy mix. To be fair, Deadpool 2 doesn’t need Tarantino either. The first film was highly successful with an unknown director who was passionate about the material. That’s the kind of talent Fox and the franchise should be circling.
I’m not sure why people are treating Tarantino like Colin Trevorrow, Rian Johnson, or Jon Watts. As if he’s some up and coming independent darling just waiting to be swept off his feet by a ginormous franchise. This is Quentin Fucking Tarantino. A guy who has made some of the most amazing feature films of the past 25 years.
Whatever franchise you think he’d be perfect for, he’s not interested.
Anghus Houvouras
