A year after leaving indie movie audiences rolling with laughter in “Hunt For The Wilderpeople,” Julian Dennison will bring his antics to the comic book movie crowd in next year’s “Deadpool 2.”
The casting was announced Wednesday by the Merc himself, Ryan Reynolds, via Instagram. Reynolds celebrated the signing with a photo showing Dennison getting a piggyback ride from Deadpool while pointing up to the sky like a chubby Yoda.
In “Hunt for the Wilderpeople,” Dennison played Ricky Baker, a young troublemaker from New Zealand who is sent to live with new foster parents on a remote farm. When his foster mother dies, Ricky fakes his death and runs off with his dog Tupac so child services won’t take him back. But his standoffish foster father Hec, played by “Jurassic Park” alum Sam Neill, sees through the ruse. But when a misunderstanding leads the child services reps to believe Hec is abusing Ricky, the two agree to help each other run from the law.
This isn’t the first time a “Hunt for the Wilderpeople” alum has been signed on for a comic book blockbuster. The film’s director, Taika Waititi, is also director for Marvel’s “Thor: Ragnarok,” due out this November. Neill will also appear in that film, though his role has not been disclosed.
“Deadpool 2” hits theaters June 1, 2018.
