I caught up with the very busy Ryan Reynolds at the November 4, 2004 LA Premiere of "After the Sunset." Even with the very sexy star of "After the Sunset," Pierce Brosnan, strolling the red carpet, Reynolds was attracting plenty of attention from all the female fans - and female media types - in attendance. Still looking fit from his time spent hunting vampires in "Blade: Trinity," Reynolds seemed geniunely shocked by all the attention.
After listening to the journalists around me lavish the guy with praise, I managed to ask a few questions about a couple of his upcoming movies:
INTERVIEW WITH RYAN REYNOLDS:
What's next for the "Blade" franchise? Will there be a "Blade IV?"
This is the last "Blade," as far as I know. This is it.
You didn’t sign on for two to begin with?
We signed on for a spin-off – a "Nightstalker" spin-off – which is another comic book from the 70s. That’s where my character [comes from], or the etymology of my character actually evolves from.
Is the "Nightstalker" spin-off definitely in the works?
That is sort of in the works. It’s something that New Line keeps broaching but we haven’t actually come to a script in any way at all. So, who knows?
I interviewed you a few months ago and you said while working with Wesley Snipes on "Blade: Trinity," he never came out of character.
No, he’s absolutely rigid. He’s method and it’s a strange thing. I don’t know many method actors, and I’m certainly not one, so it’s very strange. But whatever gets you through the day. I mean, whatever artistic process you need to acquire to do your job.
Is it harder to work off of him or does his being method make it easier?
In fact, it helps. My character is wary of him anyway so it just fed me. And I don’t think he liked me, particularly, very much so…
As a person?
As a person. So I think that actually helped. Blade didn’t – I don’t know about Wesley. But that also helps. Our characters are a little adversarial but on the same side. All it does is feed me. So I guess in a sense, it actually pushed me into method.
Will there be a sequel to “Van Wilder?”
I don’t think so. No. I know they’ve written a script and they’re trying to go for one, but I don’t think so.
You don’t want to do a sequel?
It’s not that. Sometimes when I see a character that I love and a movie that I love, I always want them to do it again. And when they do it again, I’m inevitably disappointed. So I just feel like given the opportunity to have that happen or not, I think I’m going to go with 'not'. I just feel like [we should] let sleeping dogs lie. It was a lot of fun, it was a cult hit. It did really well on DVD. I think I’d leave that legacy in my wake. It was a lot of fun.
And you just finished doing “The Amityville Horror?”
Yeah. It was really, really wild.
What was it like working on that remake? People still seem to like watching that movie.
They do. It’s worthy of a remake because it’s time for an update. I don’t think it stands the test of time as well as some movies do. I feel really good about it. It exceeded my wildest expectations.
Does it follow the original movie?
No, we stay with the book not the movie. We stick to the Jay Anson book religiously.
What was your most difficult scene to film?
It was all just incredibly taxing. It was very difficult. To be emotionally abusive to children is very hard for me, so I had a tough time doing that.
What’s next after “The Amityville Horror?”
A nice, light romantic comedy called “Just Friends.” I start that in a month.
Oh good, you’ll be back to playing the romantic leading man.
(Laughing) Yeah, it’ll be fun.
