Ryan Reynolds posted three photos to Twitter showing him receiving a COVID-19 test before returning to the Red Notice set. The upcoming action-thriller will be distributed by Netflix and is directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber, who previously directed star Dwayne Johnson in Central Intelligence. Johnson's co-stars include Reynolds and Wonder Woman's Gal Gadot. Plot details are still sparse, but the film follows an INTERPOL agent (Johnson) who is tasked with catching the world's most infamous art thief (Gadot). Somehow, Reynolds, as an experienced con-man, fits into the mix.
Red Notice has had a bumpy production, starting back with its acquisition. It was originally set to be produced by Universal but the studio said no to their proposed budget, and Red Notice switched hands to Netflix. After beginning filming in January, just two months later, Red Notice joined a plethora of productions the world over and hit pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, they are back in business, but not without new filming procedures Johnson compared to those implemented by the NBA, including a "quarantine bubble" for the cast and crew.
On Twitter, Ryan Reynolds shared a few photos of himself receiving a nasal swab to test for COVID-19 before getting back to work. The story in three parts shows him smiling pre-swab, an action shot in the middle of the test, and a relieved Reynolds afterward. His tweet assuages concerns about the test, calling it "quick and easy." Still, Reynolds injects the post with his own wry sense of humor. Photo credits go to his spouse, Blake Lively. You can view his full tweet, below:
Red Notice joins other large productions and organizations throughout the country just getting back into the swing of things. Recent set photos from Mission Impossible: 7 show star Tom Cruise wearing a face mask. After taking a step back due to the non-essential nature of their work, those in Hollywood are adapting and incorporating good procedures to keep casts and crews safe. These new filming guidelines are essential for productions trying to restart because because they'll help to avoid another shutdown. Of course, even the strictest of guidelines aren't entirely infection proof. For example, The Batman actor Robert Pattinson coming down with COVID-19 just as filming was set to resume. Still, film productions are doing the best they can in difficult circumstances.
What's more, some, like Reynolds, have used their visibility to spread information about what they're doing and why. In a small way, Reynold's post helps to normalize the test and counter misinformation. Reynolds' co-star, Gadot, previously did just the same thing, sharing photos of herself receiving the test. In a trying time, seeing well-known stars following the same procedures that we have to reminds us we're all in this together. It seems to be a fitting use of star power. Perhaps they've learned their lesson after the "Imagine" fiasco.
Source: Ryan Reynolds/Twitter