Deadpool star Reynolds pitches in to help save east Vancouver Rio Theatre

Actor Ryan Reynolds has added his name to the list of famous donors helping to save east Vancouver’s beloved Rio Theatre.

“The Rio Theatre is legendary. Spoiler Alert : I plan to be buried there,” the Deadpool star tweeted late Sunday evening, alongside the hashtag #savetherio and a link to the theatre’s ongoing Indiegogo campaign to buy the building and save it from potential redevelopment.

The tweet came after the Vancouver-born actor had already messaged the Rio Theatre’s owners via Twitter: “Just donated. Love the Rio. Good luck.”

Reynolds, whose foul-mouthed superhero franchise films in Vancouver, has more than 10 million followers on Twitter, and has shown love and support to his hometown in a number of ways.

Earlier this year, it was revealed that the building housing the Rio Theatre had been listed for sale and that, under a new owner, it could be slated for re-development.

Rio operator Corinne Lea and her team have since had their offer to buy the building accepted, but will need to raise enough funds to secure the mortgage. Lea is hoping an Indiegogo campaign helps to raise the $1.5 million she needs for half the down payment ; the other half will be covered by private investors.

Kevin Smith, another big Hollywood name with Vancouver ties, had also shown the Rio some love on Twitter, even going so far as to schedule back-to-back charity shows for the end of this month. Smith recently suffered a heart attack and continues to undergo recovery but he tweeted Monday that his sold-out shows will go ahead as planned.