A film adaptation of the Dark Horse comic "R.I.P.D." is currently in development with Ryan Reynolds set for the lead role of deceased, vengeance-seeking copy Nick Cruz. Universal Pictures hopes to shoot this summer, so it's no surprise that the cast is growing.
According to the Los Angeles Times' 24 Frames blog, "The Hangover" star Zach Galifianaksi is in talks to star opposite Reynolds in the comic book adaptation.
The "R.I.P.D." comic, created by Peter Lenkov, follows cops who are killed in the line of duty and then sent back to take care of those who won't come quietly. These ghostly ex-cops form the R.I.P.D., which is short for Rest In Peace Department.
Universal partnered with Dark Horse to develop the film all the way back in 2008. Momentum really picked up last year however, first when Reynolds joined the cast and later when writers and a director were hired: "Clash of the Titans" scribes Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi, and "Red" director Robert Schwentke. Previous accounts of the planned film's story see Reynolds' Cruz being partnered with a hundreds-of-years-dead gunslinger, which would presumably be the Galifianakis role.
Unfortunately, Reynolds isn't a completely done deal yet. He's booked for both this and "Deadpool," and he has suggested in the past that he'll only do one. Speaking in a recent interview with MTV Splash Page, Dark Horse president Mike Richardson could neither confirm nor deny anything, but he had only positive things to say about Reynolds being a fit for the Cruz role.
"We approached him and he seemed to like it a lot at the beginning," he said. "As it's developed, he's been very interested in the project, and he's a great choice for the role if you've read the graphic novel. I think we have a really great movie in the works."
Let us know what you think of Galifianakis joining the cast in the comment section or on Twitter!