Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds is reviving a 1970s classic. The Deadpool actor has teamed up with Amazon MGM Studios to develop a modern remake of Thunderbolt and Lightfoot — the 1974 action-comedy that originally starred Clint Eastwood and Jeff Bridges, and marked the directorial debut of The Deer Hunter filmmaker Michael Cimino.
Reynolds is expected to star in the remake while also producing under his Maximum Effort production banner. The script is being co-written by Reynolds alongside Enzo Mileti and Scott Wilson, the writing duo behind season four of FX’s Fargo.
The new adaptation will be directed by Shane Reid, making his directorial debut after editing Deadpool & Wolverine.
The original Thunderbolt and Lightfoot followed Eastwood as a bank robber disguised as a preacher, on the run from his old gang who suspect he double-crossed them. When he meets Lightfoot, a young thief played by Bridges, the pair team up for another heist — but things quickly spiral out of control. Bridges’ performance earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
While no casting beyond Reynolds has been confirmed, the film is rumored to be an ideal “two-hander” project, leading fans to speculate about a possible reunion with Hugh Jackman, following their successful collaboration in Deadpool & Wolverine.
Mileti and Wilson’s recent work includes writing and producing credits on FX’s Snowfall and The Kingdom. Both are represented by WME and Untitled Entertainment.
Reynolds has had a busy slate in recent months. He recently signed on to play the villain in Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Eloise, based on the beloved children’s books by Kay Thompson. His production company is also behind John Candy: I Like Me, a documentary on the late comedy legend now streaming on Amazon.
Reynolds is represented by WME and Sloane Offer.
