Beverly Hills, United States, Nov 18 (AFP\/APP):From subversive superheroes to sports documentaries, Hollywood A-lister Ryan Reynolds said he is focused on exploring new forms of storytelling, as he received a prestigious film industry honor.<\/p>\n
The star of comic-book movies such as “Deadpool” and “Green Lantern” made headlines last year when he bought lowly Welsh soccer team Wrexham, along with fellow actor Rob McElhenney.<\/p>\n
Their takeover and the fifth-tier team’s subsequent bid for promotion was the subject of hit docuseries “Welcome to Wrexham,” the latest in a booming trend of behind-the-scenes sports documentaries.<\/p>\n
Sport “is storytelling happening in real time. So I love applying that to Wrexham,” said Reynolds at a Beverly Hills gala Thursday.<\/p>\n
“I’ve fallen in love with not just Wrexham but the people of Wales. I knew I’d be entrenched in the town, I just didn’t know that it would go this deep this quickly.<\/p>\n
“It’s been amazing. It’s been truly one of the great privileges of my life.”<\/p>\n
While “Welcome to Wrexham” is unusual because its stars and producers took ownership of the club — despite admitting to knowing almost nothing about soccer — sports documentaries more generally have soared in popularity in recent times.<\/p>\n
Netflix scored hits with basketball series “The Last Dance” and “Formula 1: Drive to Survive,” while Amazon Prime’s popular “All Or Nothing” franchise offers fans glimpses of what goes on inside elite teams.<\/p>\n
“We live in a world that moves incredibly fast. If you can move at the speed of what people are talking about, when they’re talking about it, you can move mountains — and sports is that,” said Reynolds.<\/p>\n
Reynolds last week told late-night host Jimmy Fallon he is interested in buying a much larger franchise — the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL).<\/p>\n
Asked about the bid at Thursday’s gala, Reynolds teased: “We’ll see.”<\/p>\n
– ‘Superheroes and horror’ –<\/p>\n
Reynolds received the American Cinematheque Award, a “mid-career achievement” prize given to one star at the event each year. Previous honorees have included Al Pacino, Tom Cruise, and Steven Spielberg.<\/p>\n
The actor, who also has extensive business dealings including stakes in a gin brand and a cellphone company, is working on “Deadpool 3,” another installment in his smash-hit, R-rated movie series about a potty-mouthed superhero.<\/p>\n
“I think what made ‘Deadpool’ special and the reason I loved it is it subverts the genre,” he said.<\/p>\n
“When you can subvert a genre like that, particularly one that is as robust as the superhero genre, you jump at the chance.”<\/p>\n
Guests at the glitzy event included Oscar-winning director Ron Howard (“A Beautiful Mind”) who said Reynolds is “proving himself to be a really great all-around storyteller and producer as well as movie star.”<\/p>\n
Actor and Wrexham co-owner McElhenney said Reynolds is “incredibly entrepreneurial” and “just looks at the world and business, and our particular business, in a completely different way.”<\/p>\n
Jason Blum, the leading horror producer behind hits such as “Get Out” and “Paranormal Activity,” was also honored with a Power of Cinema Award.<\/p>\n
Like superhero films, the horror genre has continued to thrive, drawing huge audiences to movie theaters in the age of streaming.<\/p>\n
“Superheroes and horror. We’ve got theaters covered!” joked Blum about his fellow honoree.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Beverly Hills, United States, Nov 18 (AFP\/APP):From subversive superheroes to sports documentaries, Hollywood A-lister Ryan Reynolds said he is focused on exploring new forms of storytelling, as he received a prestigious film industry honor. The star of comic-book movies such as “Deadpool” and “Green Lantern” […]<\/p>\n
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