The Fall Guy Footage Reaction: Ryan Gosling Stars In A Love Letter To Stunt Performers [CinemaCon 2023]
CinemaCon might not be a huge fan convention like San Diego Comic-Con, but that doesn't mean it lacks major surprises. Case in point, the unexpected presence of "The Fall Guy" during Universal Pictures' panel at the event. Even though it's not slated to be released until 2024, Universal and the mad lads at 87North Productions certainly had enough juicy footage of David Leitch's upcoming action-thriller, itself an adaptation of the 1980s ABC series of the same name.
So, how exactly did they kick off this surprise reveal? With a five-minute stunt show, of course. According to /Film's Ben Pearson, who attended Universal's panel at CinemaCon, the show consisted of performers doing all sorts of cool and dangerous stunts. Wanna know just how dangerous? These dudes are dropping out of the ceiling, riding around on motorcycles, doing parkour, and handling all sorts of dangerous weapons. Simply saying that stunt performers deserve award recognition is one thing, but seeing them in person only solidifies how much praise they truly need.
Thankfully, "The Fall Guy" star Ryan Gosling did just that, shouting out how one of these performers was his actual stuntman on the film. Gosling was joined by Leitch and co-star Emily Blunt on stage, where the director reminisced about the importance of stunt performers and the original "Fall Guy" television show. They aren't the only big names involved in the film, however: Winston Duke, Stephanie Hsu, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Hannah Waddingham also star in the action extravaganza.
Going all out
While "The Fall Guy" is still very much in post-production, that didn't mean the rough footage shown to CinemaCon audiences wasn't chock-full of information. Gosling plays Colt Seavers, a retired stuntman previously played by "The Six Million Dollar Man" himself, Lee Majors, in the television show. He's given up his life of danger, instead preferring to work as a valet. Unfortunately for him, his director ex-girlfriend (Blunt) has called for his help on a serious matter, and it's that her party animal main star (Taylor-Johnson) has gone missing. If the studio finds this out, everyone involved is dead meat.
Thus kicks off some very cool and slick action sequences shot in the Los Angeles desert. This action is cut between the desert and nighttime LA, but fear not — every stunt appears to be completely practical. Would you want anything less? Of course not, you want to see Gosling get set on fire, which we are happy to say is a real part of this footage. Colorful explosions, hardcore stunts in slow motion, and Gosling wearing multiple neon-colored suits are also said to be big highlights. And to think this is only the rough footage!
Unfortunately, we're still going to have to wait a while until we see more of "The Fall Guy." That's because it won't be riding into theaters until March 1, 2024. Hey, at least you can have the mental image of a neon-clad Gosling to tide you over!