Not only did Ryan Reynolds draw inspiration from classic '80s films like E.T and The Goonies for theThe Adam Project, but he also borrowed from personal experience. The actor recently revealed that he added to the film's storyline by using his struggle with grief as source material.
Netflix's The Adam Project stars Reynolds as Adam Reed, a time-traveling pilot from the year 2050 who crash lands in his past while trying to save the future. There, he encounters his 13-year-old self, with whom he must team up to find his late father and save the world from annihilation. In addition to Reynolds, The Adam Project stars Mark Ruffalo, Jennifer Garner, Zoe Saldana, Walker Scobell, Catherine Keener, and Alex Mallari Jr.
While the film's themes of loss and family were inspired by Reynolds and director Shawn Levy's own experiences, Reynolds shared one moment that had a particularly personal connection to him. "There's a line in there that is from my real life, which is that 'boys always come back for their mamas.' And that's very true when my dad passed away," the actor told Entertainment Weekly. "I'm one of four boys and it was just like this circling the wagons around my mom. We really all came back for her in a way that I know was incredibly meaningful to her. And to this day she still talks about it."
The upcoming film will mark the second collaboration between Reynolds and Levy. The pair previously worked on the comedy Free Guy, which follows a video game character named Guy (Reynolds) who realizes that he's trapped in a Grand Theft Auto-like game. The film debuted in August 2021 after being pushed back twice due to COVID-19.
Besides figuring out how to balance out the action and heavier themes with humor, Levy shared in an interview with IGN that he and Reynolds approached the subject of time travel in The Adam Project in an original way. According to the director, their goal was to "make a time travel movie that felt really grounded and foregrounded character and fun and adventure and heart that didn’t get too mired in the rules."
Other projects for Reynolds include a third installment in the Deadpool franchise. Though details remain unclear, the actor shared in February that updates regarding Deadpool 3 may be coming soon. The pandemic likely had an effect on the film's development, but as things slowly go back to normal it shouldn't take too long before we see more of the merc with a mouth.
The Adam Project is now available on Netflix.
Source: Entertainment Weekly