Whether in Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Uncle Buck, or even Only the Lonely, John Candy proved himself as both an immensely comedic and deeply heartfelt actor who was beloved by all up to and even after his untimely death. Now, fellow Canadian and massive fan Ryan Reynolds wants to honor his legacy. The Deadpool actor announced via Twitter that his production company Maximum Effort is developing a documentary about the life of Candy with Colin Hanks joining him on the project. On top of it all, Reynolds warns fans to "expect tears" with the film.
Candy is a Canadian icon, beginning his career in smaller roles, including a children's show called Coming Up Rosie with Dan Aykroyd, before getting recognized through Toronto's branch of The Second City improv comedy troupe and its Emmy-winning variety show Second City Television. There, he'd appear alongside other comedians he'd later share comedic fame with, like Harold Ramis and Eugene Levy, the latter of whom would join him in his breakout role in Ron Howard's Splash alongside Tom Hanks.
Throughout the 80s and 90s, Candy was in extremely high demand, reaching comedic highs with the aforementioned Planes, Trains and Automobiles opposite Steve Martin and more sensitive roles like his turn as the coach of a Jamaican bobsled team in Cool Runnings. He earned his stripes as a comedic legend, but his tale is particularly tragic for his addiction to alcohol and drugs which ultimately contributed to his death. On March 4, 1994, he'd pass away suddenly at 43 from a heart attack in his sleep while filming in Mexico for Wagons East.
Reynolds has made it no secret how much he appreciates Candy. On the 26th anniversary of his death, Reynolds took to Instagram to post a heartfelt tribute to the late actor flashing through his various roles. "He always walked that tightrope between hilarious and heartbreaking," he wrote. "His movies mean so much to me. If you haven’t seen his work, check it out. He’s absolutely beautiful." In a previous interview for My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman, Reynolds also waxed poetic on his love for Candy growing up, including how he placed a small tribute to the actor in Deadpool in the form of the erotic book Candy's character Del Griffith was reading.
Reynolds also isn't a total stranger to documentary work. He previously produced and narrated The Whale, a film about a killer whale named Luna who ended up befriending humans around Vancouver Island's Nootka Sound after being separated from its pod. As for Hanks, the Emmy-winning actor has served as a producer on a pair of documentaries himself including the TV film Say Hey, Willy Mays! as well as an upcoming documentary around Michael Jackson's Thriller.
We'll have more here at Collider as Reynolds and Hanks's documentary on Candy gets underway. Read Reynolds's official announcement and watch his tribute to the late actor below