Ryan Reynolds has announced that he’s taking “a little sabbatical from movie making” after wrapping production on his latest project.
The actor took to Instagram on Saturday to share that he had completed work on “Spirited,” his upcoming holiday movie for Apple TV Plus. Reynolds had been working on the production since July.
“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,” Reynolds wrote in his Instagram post. “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. These days, kindness matters as much as talent. I’ve been lucky to work with folks who are flush with both.”
Along with expressing his praise for the “Spirited” team, Reynolds also shared his excitement about working alongside Will Ferrell and reuniting with Octavia Spencer, his co-star in 2007’s “The Nines.”
Blake Lively, Reynolds’ wife, left a comment on the post, writing that “Michael Caine did it first.” The joke is a reference to recent rumors that the British veteran was retiring from acting, though Caine’s reps confirmed to Variety that the actor is currently reviewing scripts for two more projects.
However long Reynolds’ sabbatical turns out to be, the break is hardly unearned. The actor has already starred in two 2021 movies with “Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard” and “Free Guy,” and he has another on the way in Netflix’s “Red Notice,” a high-budget action movie in which Reynolds co-stars with Dwayne Johnson and Gal Gadot. Reynolds also served as a producer on “Free Guy” and is currently producing “Spirited.”
“Spirited” is billed as a reimagining of Charles Dickens’ story “A Christmas Carol.” Reynolds plays the Ebenezer Scrooge figure in the movie. Apple has not set an official release date for the film yet.