When it was first announced that a PG-13 cut of Deadpool 2 would be heading to cinemas this December, much of the online response ranged from outraged to mystified. But seeing how popular the original version of the film was, you can imagine that there’ll be a few fans feeling curious about the extra footage that this family-friendly reworking has to offer.
A few weeks ago, we were told that the upcoming release – reportedly titled The Deadpool Before Christmas – will contain 15 minutes of additional footage plus a new character, and sure enough, writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick have confirmed that this divisive project will be adding whole extra scenes to the action.
“We definitely shot new stuff. And recently too. After Deadpool 2 came out and we were all sitting around, we came to it less about the idea of let’s make a PG-13 movie and more, ‘Let’s talk a little bit about Deadpool.’” Wernick told /Film. “We were kicking around some ideas and then I think it was Ryan [Reynolds] who had the great framing device and we all got excited and went to the studio. They said, ‘Yeah, let’s do it. Fire up the cameras.’”
Wernick went on to explain that this extra footage was shot months after Deadpool 2 arrived in theaters, saying:
“About two months ago we were out on soundstages shooting again. Ryan was in the suit and the gang was back together, Dave Leitch and Ryan and us having a great time and laughing. It comes together great so we’re super excited about it.”
And while much of the fan community is not yet sold on the project, Wernick also insists that it won’t just be the kids who find something to enjoy in Wade Wilson’s next outing.
“I think it’s not only going to appeal to kids but also to people who love Deadpool,” Wernick said. “I think it’s subversive enough and fun and creative and something that only Deadpool could do. So I think it’s going to be a real joy for not only a whole new audience, but also an audience that has seen and loved the Deadpool movies.”
You may read Wernick’s words with skepticism, but you can imagine that the feature’s PG-13 rating could at least lend itself to a little meta-humor. What’s more, based on an image that was shared last month, some of these new scenes will feature Fred Savage reprising his role from The Princess Bride, and admittedly, this particular idea seems just goofy enough to work.
If that’s enough to get you interested, then The Deadpool Before Christmas will be hitting theaters on December 21st, 2018, but if you’d rather the Merc with a Mouth didn’t have to watch his language, then at least X-Force should be coming our way eventually.