The long-gestating Green Lantern movie (which at one point was going to be a comedy starring Jack Black) now has a presumably more serious script by a trio of TV writers and a proven action director in Martin Campbell, who helped revive the Bond franchise with Casino Royale. And as of yesterday, it has a star. Earlier this week it was announced that the finalists to play power-ring-wielding-test-pilot Hal Jordan were Bradley Cooper, Jared Leto, Justin Timberlake (!) and—your winner—Ryan Reynolds. It's been a career-boosting summer for Reynolds, formerly best known as the deadpan smart-ass from Van Wilder and Two Guys, A Girl And A Pizza Place. First, small roles in the indie comedy Adventureland and the big-budget superhero movie X-Men Origins: Wolverine showed he could be credible in small human moments and over-the-top action scenes; and then the hit romantic comedy The Proposal showed that he could be, if not a box office draw, then at least not box office poison. But can Reynolds generate a big green mallet through force of will? How does he feel about the color yellow? And most importantly: Will America's love affair with this nondescript Canadian continue when he slaps on a skintight green suit and starts flying around? We'll be staying on this story—in brightest day, in blackest night.
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