'Creative differences' affect films 'Solo' to 'Deadpool'
“CREATIVE differences” can’t catch much of a break these days.
The term, seemingly as old around Hollywood as “points” and “back-end” and “television residuals,” used to have a particularly ominous tone, resonating with the gravitas of conflict so intractable that a linguistic paint job was needed to allow both sides to save face.
Thing is, there is such a plethora of geek-culture projects now that “creative differences” don’t tend to slow down wellknown actors, auteurs or franchise filmmakers much anymore.
Over the weekend, some Marvel fans voiced their disappointment that an animated “Deadpool” series wouldn’t happen after all — cancellation news that landed on the heels of the latest trailer for “Deadpool 2,” which arrives in May. Brothers Donald and Stephen Glover were to serve as the 10-episode series’ showrunners, producers and writers in the deal signed last summer with FX.
On Saturday, however, the network announced in a statement: “Due to creative differences, FX, Donald Glover, Stephen Glover, and Marvel Television have agreed to part ways on Marvel’s Deadpool animated series. FX will no longer be involved with the project. FX and Marvel have an ongoing relationship through our partnership on Legion, which will continue.”
Does Donald Glover, though, even have time to be disappointed for too long?
After all, since winning a Grammy in January (and being nominated for four others), Glover just released the second season of “Atlanta” after a long break. He is also starring in two forthcoming Disney films: “Solo: A Star Wars Story” in May (he is the new Lando Calrissian) and next year’s live-action “Lion King” (he voices adult Simba).
And speaking of “Solo,” a new Vulture story quoting an unnamed cast member delves into the challenges inherited by director Ron Howard, who took over the spinoff film after Lucasfilm last year fired its original filmmakers, Phil Lord and Chris Miller. According to reports, the reshoots under Howard have been extensive.
Miller and Lord last week addressed the resolution regarding their film credit — and you can guess which magic words casually surfaced.
“In light of the creative differences,” Miller told the GLAS animation festival crowd on Friday in Berkeley, “we elected to take an executive producer credit” on “Solo.”
Those creative differences, though, don’t seem to have tripped up their embrace in other parts of the geek galaxy.
Miller and Lord have “SpiderMan: Into the Spider-Verse” from Sony Pictures Animation due this Christmas and “The Lego Movie Sequel” arriving next year.
As for May blockbusters beyond “Solo,” “Deadpool 2” arrives with new director David Leitch. Star Ryan Reynolds might have been narratively simpatico with “Deadpool” director Tim Miller for the first, defied-all-expectations film, but Miller’s departure from the sequel was chalked up to “creative differences.”
Did that slow up Tim Miller at all as a geek-fare filmmaker?
Well, he’s directing an untitled “Terminator” reboot next year, working from a James Cameron story, and Miller is among several others co-credited with the story.
The moral: If you’re genuinely creative in Hollywood and already have a recent track record of nerd-franchise success, then “creative differences” is just the price of doing business. — WP-Bloomberg