Following the much-anticipated release of ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’, the third instalment in the ‘Deadpool’ film franchise, star Ryan Reynolds and director Shawn Levy have opened up about the lengths the pair went to secure the rights to use Madonna’s mega hit ‘Like A Prayer’ in the film.
In a recent interview with Sirius XM (via People), Levy confirmed that he and Reynolds paid the widely acclaimed ‘Queen of Pop’ a personal visit in order to ask her permission to use the much-loved track. It is widely acknowledged that Madonna is generally reticent to licence her music, particularly her most well-known tracks.
Levy commented “It did involve a personal visit to Madonna, where we showed Madonna the sequence where ‘Like a Prayer’ would be used.” Reynolds continued, “We went over and met with her and sort of showed her how it was being used, and where, and why.”
The star granted the filmmakers a licence to use the song as requested, even going so far as to offer the pair pointers on how to best use the song in the chosen sequence, which the team duly implemented. Madonna’s stringent portfolio management is an excellent example of the importance of controlling the use of your intellectual property in media.
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