EXCLUSIVE: As Disney continues to figure out what to do with Fox properties acquired in the merger, one of the biggest IPs, Deadpool, looks to be gaining momentum. Sources tell Deadline that Wendy Molyneux and Lizzie Molyneux-Loeglin will write Deadpool 3, with Ryan Reynolds set to reprise his role as the wise-cracking Marvel superhero.
Writer meetings have been taking place over the past month with Reynolds recently meeting with a handful of writers to hear their pitches for the next installment. In the end, the studio and Reynolds saw the sisters’ take as the perfect fit for what they wanted. The film remains in early development, but the hiring of the Molyneux sisters does mark the first major step in getting the next Deadpool film into production.
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This marks the first Deadpool film where Marvel Studios will work hand and hand with Reynolds and Team Deadpool. Fans are sure to be excited at Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige’s involvement after seeing how he helped revamp the Spider-Man franchise after coming on to help in the creative effort for that franchise.
Besides Reynolds’ return, there are many factors being worked out, but sources say the film is still expected to be rated R like the previous two installments. It is also expected to have a new director; David Leitch, who helmed the second pic, has a schedule filled through 2021. Insiders says the door is open for Leitch’s return as its unknown when this film will go into production, but given that he wasn’t part of the writer search, seems unlikely for him to come back for part 3.
Either way, the film pushing forward will surely excite fans who were concerned about the film’s fate following the Fox/Disney Merger that some felt meant the possible end of the franchise.
As for the Molyneuxes, they are sisters and writing partners, who serve as the creators, showrunners and executive producers of the new Fox series The Great North, which is set to premiere in February and has already been renewed for a second season. In addition, they are writers and executive producers of the long-running hit Bob’s Burgers on Fox, for which they won an Emmy in 2017, and have been nominated for an Emmy for eight consecutive years. They have also been nominated for three WGA Awards, and won the Annie Award in 2017 for their episode “The Hormone-iums.”
On the feature side, they recently adapted the novel The People We Hate at the Wedding for FilmNation and the acclaimed video game The Sims for Legendary. They also wrote Jump Street: Now For Her Pleasure for Sony Pictures.
Lizzie attended UC Berkeley and Wendy attended Pomona College. They both reside in the Los Angeles area with their spouses and many, many children and pets.
They are repped by Kaplan/Perrone Entertainment and attorney Gregg Gellman.