(Updated 04/29/2024)
In the summer of 2023, Ryan Gosling's job was beach. Now he's moving on to much more risky work. In THE FALL GUY, Gosling stars as a stuntman recruited to save a big-budget movie, only to find himself embroiled in dangerous scenarios that are far more threatening than what his character faces in the movie.
THE FALL GUY comes from one of the co-creators of JOHN WICK, which means it has a deep connection to the world of movie stunts. We've got the first trailer and can tell you a lot more about THE FALL GUY.
The Fall Guy Release Date
Universal Pictures will release THE FALL GUY in movie theaters on May 3, 2024.
Watch the Funny Trailer for The Fall Guy
The trailers for THE FALL GUY have been great. This one does a lot to foreground the movie's sense of scope, and more importantly, Ryan Gosling's comic timing. Makes sense after BARBIE, though we'd argue that anyone who has seen Gosling's team-up movie with Russell Crowe, THE NICE GUYS, knows how funny the actor can be.
The Song in The Fall Guy Trailer
The first trailer for THE FALL GUY makes great use of the 1986 single "You Give Love a Bad Name" by Bon Jovi. The trailer above relies on "Any Way You Want It" by Journey, a classic '80s hit from the early days of the MTV boom.
What Is The Fall Guy About?
Show biz is a weird place! Colt is an injured and nearly washed-up stuntman who gets a surprising and probably somewhat annoying call. His ex is directing her first big movie and the self-indulgent star of the picture has gone missing. Can Colt — who once worked as the double for the rogue actor — come in to replace him so the movie can keep shooting? Oh, and can he track down the actor, too?
It's Based on a 1980s TV Series
In the 1970s, Lee Majors was one of the biggest stars on television, thanks to the hit sci-fi action series "The Six-Million Dollar Man," which ended in 1978. Majors followed up that show with "The Fall Guy," starting in 1981, in which he starred as Colt Seavers, stuntman by day and bounty hunter by night. The show ran for five seasons, during which time co-star Heather Thomas became a major sex symbol who helped define mid-'80s glamor.
As an episodic "plot of the week" series, don't expect big story points to show up in the movie. But Lee Majors does have at least a small part in the film.
One other cool thing about "The Fall Guy" was that the show's intro used clips from many other major movie stunts. Granted, it was a lot harder to look up the references in the early '80s but the series likely turned some viewers on to the great world of movie stunt work. We're curious to see if that aspect shows up in the new movie, too.
The Cast of The Fall Guy
Ryan Gosling stars as the stuntman Colt. Emily Blunt plays Colt's ex Jody, who seems like an in-name-only version of the character played by Heather Thomas. Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays the missing movie star whose absence gets the plot moving.
The trailer shows that there's real chemistry between Gosling and Blunt, which helps make THE FALL GUY into a movie that has a little bit of rom-com energy in addition to all the stunts and action.
The cast also features Stephanie Hsu, Winston Duke, Hannah Waddingham, and Teresa Palmer.
Who DIrected The Fall Guy?
THE FALL GUY is directed by David Leitch, the former stuntman who helped bring JOHN WICK into the world, and who also directed movies like ATOMIC BLONDE and DEADPOOL 2. Given his experience with stunts, Leitch brings a specific viewpoint to a story like this — as exaggerated as the movie itself might be — which could make it more than an "outside looking in" kind of action movie.
An Homage to Movie Stunt Teams
While a lot of actors will sell the idea that they do all their own stunts, Ryan Gosling is much more transparent about the fact that he (like all the guys who say they do their own stunts) is backed up by an impressive stunt team. THE FALL GUY is an homage to all those often-hidden members of the film crew. The video above highlights many of the people who make THE FALL GUY look so impressive.
THE FALL GUY opens on May 3.
All images courtesy of Universal Pictures.