Ryan Reynolds took to Twitter to announce a new initiative supporting aspiring filmmakers from unrepresented communities.
In a two-minute video, the actor acknowledged that despite its collaborative work, the film industry continues to leave out certain voices.
“Making a movie, well it’s a group effort,” he said. “But for entirely too long, that group has systematically excluded Black, Indigenous, people of color and a whole host of other marginalized communities.”
Reynolds, 46, shared his commitment to providing opportunities for those from BIPOC and other unrepresented communities. He also emphasized that people of all ages can apply for his Group Effort Initiative.
“So here’s what we’re gonna do. COVID willing, which is a weird thing to say, I’m going to be starting a movie this fall,” he said. “And I’m committed to bringing between 10 and 20 trainees from the BIPOC community and all other marginalized communities of all ages.”
The “Deadpool” star went on to explain the logistics.
“Anyway, these new recruits — they’re gonna be paid, housed and traveled out of my salary,” said Reynolds. “They’re gonna spend their days on set learning from professionals, getting real life experiences that they can parlay into another job and then hopefully, if they’re not too disillusioned, a career in the film industry.”
He wrapped up the announcement with a call to action: “Now, this is an overdue action, but I got to thank Netflix and I have to thank Skydance for letting us do this, and since it’s called Group Effort, we’re hoping that people with the privilege that I’m lucky enough to experience will join in that effort.”
Group Effort Initiative, spearheaded by Reynolds, has announced on its website that specifics for the shoot are still being finalized. The filming and application details will be announced in the coming week, and those interested can register for updates via email.
Watch Reynolds’ announcement below.