Ryan Reynolds Reveals He’s Stepping Back From ‘Movie Making’

Now that Ryan Reynolds has wrapped on Spirited, a new Apple TV+ film, the actor thinks it’s time to go on an extended vacation from his day job. The Deadpool star shared on Instagram that he’s going on a “little sabbatical from movie making” following his new project.

“That’s a wrap for me on Spirited. Not sure I’d have been ready to say yes to a film this challenging even three years ago,” the actor-producer said in the caption. “Singing, dancing and playing in the sandbox with Will Ferrell made a whole lotta dreams come true. And this is my second film with the great [Octavia Spencer]…”

“Perfect time for a little sabbatical from movie making. I’m gonna miss every second working with this obscenely gifted group of creators and artists,” he added. “These days, kindness matters as much as talent. I’ve been lucky to work with folks who are flush with both.”

Director Ava DuVernay congratulated him on another project in the comment section. “Looks VERY fun! Wanna see!” she wrote. She was joined in the comments by Octavia Spencer, who responded to Reynolds’ kind words. “You’re an amazing actor/singer and producer. I had a blast working with you, Will, and this outstanding cast and crew! Enjoy your downtime,” she wrote. Though his wife, Blake Lively, threw a quick quip in the mix, saying, “Michael Caine did it first.”

Reynolds has had a busy year. He closed on two films: Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard and Free Guy. The latter, a film helmed by director Shawn Levy. Fans will be able to catch him next in Red Notice alongside Dwayne Johnson and Gal Gadot. The movie is expected to land on Netflix on November 12. Spirited is a musical retelling of the famous Charles Dickens’ Christmas tale, A Christmas Carol. Directed by Sean Anders and John Morris, Reynolds also serves as an executive producer on the project. The film doesn’t have a premiere date as of yet.  

The actor offered a sneak peek into the movie’s production a few months ago, sharing a photo of himself and Will Ferrell. “Day 1 shooting with one of my comedy idols, Will Ferrell. You’d barely notice this was an AppleTV movie. Also iOS 14.6 will begin installing in 7 seconds… ,” he captioned the snapshot.