In honour of Regina’s self-described prodigal son, the Kramer IMAX Theatre has announced it will be renaming itself to the “Wade Wilson IMAX Theatre” ahead of the upcoming film Deadpool & Wolverine. The renaming will be in effect for the duration of the film’s run at Saskatchewan's sole IMAX Theatre. Deadpool’s history with Saskatchewan’s capital is longstanding. In the comics, it is revealed that the disfigured mercenary is Canadian. However, most fans learned of his connection to YQR in the first Deadpool film in 2016. The film saw the titular “Merc with a Mouth” name drop the Queen City – referencing the well-known joke that Regina is “the city that rhymes with fun.” “A hush falls over the crowd as rookie sensation Wade W. Wilson out of Regina, Saskatchewan … lines up the shot,” Wilson says in the film, before kicking a masked villain in the head. “And that’s why Regina rhymes with fun,” he continues. Following his public shout out in that film, some residents started petitions to immortalize the pop culture icon with a statue in the city. Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds, who plays Mr. Pool, also has a connection to Regina – staying in the city for several months in 2005 while filming Just Friends. To mark the occasion, the Saskatchewan Science Centre will be hosting an “officially unofficial” renaming ceremony at the theatre on July 25 at 1:15 p.m. The Centre invites all Deadpool fans to attend and take part in the ribbon cutting. Whether its just a Deadpool shirt or some serious cosplay gear – fans are encouraged to show up looking the part. The event will be complete with a food truck serving piping hot chimichangas - a personal favourite of the wisecracking hero. The theatre will also unveil a miniature statue of Deadpool which will be awarded to one lucky person who has purchased a ticket to the film. The first screening of Marvel Studios Deadpool & Wolverine: The IMAX Experience is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. on Thursday.
