Once Upon a Deadpool Blu-ray Release Date Announced

CBR

By CBR Staff

Published Jan 2, 2019

On Instagram, Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds revealed that Once Upon a Deadpool, the PG-13 cut of Deadpool 2, arrives on Blu-ray and digital January 15.

Love Deadpool? Too young for R-rated movies? Or do you have a weak disposition? Well, you need no longer worry, because the Blu-ray and digital release of Once Upon a Deadpool arrives January 15.

Franchise star Ryan Reynolds announced the release date on Instagram, with a caption that reads, “The movie your kids want to watch without your permission. Now with your permission. Get #OnceUponADeadpool in glorious PG-13 on Blu-ray and Digital ‪January 15‬⚔”

For those who have not yet heard of Once Upon a Deadpool, it is not a new sequel. Rather, it's a PG-13 re-edit of Deadpool 2. The framing device is a spoof of the one used in the classic 1987 fantasy film The Princess Bride. In that film, a young boy (Fred Savage) is sick in bed and being read to by his grandfather. In Once Upon a Deadpool, the Merc with a Mouth kidnaps Savage, the former child star (now 41), and places him in a recreation of his character's bedroom, forcing him to sit in bed as he reads him the plot of Deadpool 2.

The twist?

Since he's reading to a "child," Deadpool cuts the explicit bits out. That means no F-bombs and no blood and guts.

The photo accompanying the announcement shows Deadpool and Savage in the iconic bedroom, with Deadpool resting his head on Savage's lap. Savage, meanwhile, sits on the side of the bed holding a book out at arm's length with a perturbed look on his face.

The Deadpool series is infamous for its in-jokes, fourth-wall breaking and meta-humor, so taking a typically maligned form (“safe” cuts of films) and turning it on its head was certainly a unique approach. The film contains 20 minutes of new footage, much of which is Savage's commentary on the plot and banter with Deadpool.

A spoiler-filled CBR review describes Once Upon a Deadpool as a choppy, uneven experience. No one who has ever seen a Deadpool movie would say its crass humor and gore would be easy to translate to a PG-13 rating.

Nonetheless, it is a great way for younger audiences to watch Deadpool 2, and it's an interesting experiment in re-releasing a movie, for sure. If you missed it in theaters, you can decide for yourself when it is released later this month on January 15.