Ryan Reynolds looks set to take on a role made famous by Clint Eastwood in his newest venture. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Reynolds is teaming up with Amazon MGM Studios on one of the iconic writer/actor/director’s action comedy movies from 1974: Thunderbolt and Lightfoot.
As well as producing and potentially starring in the movie, Reynolds also has a hand in the script, which is being written by Enzo Mileti and Scott Wilson, who previously worked on the TV version of Fargo. The movie will be the directorial debut of Shane Reid, who was editor on MCU juggernaut, Deadpool & Wolverine.
The real question that remains unanswered about the movie is whether this could be the feature that brings Reynolds back together with Hugh Jackman outside their Marvel roles. The set of the movie certainly leans into the vibes the pair brought in their $1 billion MCU outing, and people have been desperate to see the pair reunite for a new project (one of which, centered on a boy band, is already in the works). However, would the combination be just too similar to Deadpool & Wolverine to work? Probably, but that kind of thing has not stopped such casting decisions in the past. The pair have plenty of chemistry on screen together, and that is something studios will want to milk for all it’s worth until the udder runs dry.
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot doesn’t give much away in its title, which means there are possibly a lot of people who have never even watched the movie simply because they have no idea what it is about. Let us enlighten you with the film’s official synopsis.
“While stealing a car, free-spirited drifter Lightfoot (Jeff Bridges) crosses paths with legendary thief Thunderbolt (Eastwood) in the midst of his own escape. Thunderbolt’s old partners in crime, Red (George Kennedy) and Eddie (Geoffrey Lewis), believe he double-crossed them after they robbed a Montana bank vault several years ago. After Thunderbolt successfully pleads his innocence and is let off the hook, Lightfoot rallies them together as a group to rob the very same bank again.”
The movie made the most of Eastwood’s tough-guy persona, with the poster almost mimicking Dirty Harry as the actor’s scowling face points a gun directly out of the paper. However, the movie is more in line with Paul Newman and Robert Redford’s Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, a light buddy action comedy…but with a twist ending that many don’t see coming.
The movie was a huge success when it was released, with a $2 million budget being turned into a $25 million box office return, and it currently holds an impressive 89% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Does this mean that a remake by Reynolds is a futile effort in the shadow of greatness? Possibly, but again, that usually doesn’t stop anyone from attempting to cash in on an old property these days.
There is no word yet on when Thunderbolt and Lightfoot will head into production, and therefore it will likely be a couple of years at least before we see this new version hit screens.
- Release Date
-
May 23, 1974
- Runtime
-
115 Minutes
- Director
-
Michael Cimino
- Writers
-
Michael Cimino