The Fall Guy – Release Date, Cast, Plot, Trailer And More Info
It's fair to say that Ryan Gosling is on a roll. Taking advantage of his sizable indie cred after starring in cult classics like "Drive" and "The Place Beyond the Pines," Gosling has been trying his hand at bigger tentpole films with massive budgets that have mostly been paying off, save for a few unfortunate misfires, through no fault of his own. The unparalleled success of Greta Gerwig's "Barbie" even took advantage of the actor's singing talents with the show-stopper "I'm Just Ken," which landed on Billboard's Top 100. (His band, Dead Man's Bones, should impress listeners looking for another actor-turned-musician group that isn't named Dogstar.)
Capitalizing on the red hot Kenergy from "Barbie," Gosling is taking his movie star good looks and impressive comedic chops over to the new action comedy romance "The Fall Guy," based loosely on the ABC TV series of the same name that aired from 1981 to 1986. Judging by what we've seen so far, "The Fall Guy" looks like it's striking the right balance between high-flying stunts, quippy dialogue, and a little mystery thrown in for good measure.
While fans wait to see how Gosling's other projects line up, including a prequel to "Ocean's 11" that will reteam him with Margot Robbie, "The Fall Guy" is shaping up to be a well-suited follow-up to "Barbie" that should have some incredible action set pieces judging by the talent behind the camera. All that said, here's what we know about "The Fall Guy" so far.
When does The Fall Guy premiere?
Universal Pictures initially set the premiere of "The Fall Guy" to land exclusively in theaters on March 1, 2024, before a bow on streaming. That changed in November of 2023, as studios rushed to reconfigure their schedules in the aftermath of the SAG-AFTRA strike coming to an end. Now, "The Fall Guy" is slated to open the summer movie season on May 3, 2024. It takes this slot from "Deadpool 3," which has been shifted back to July 26, 2024.
Eventually, "The Fall Guy" will be available to stream for "free" over on Peacock due to the fact that the film is being distributed by Universal. Since it's now primed for more box success with less competition in theaters and Gosling's hot streak after "Barbie," it may take some time for "The Fall Guy" to appear on other video-on-demand services like Vudu, for example.
What are the plot details of The Fall Guy?
Granted, "The Fall Guy" isn't going to have that complicated of a plot. The story is centered around the rough-and-tumble life of a Hollywood stuntman named Colt (Gosling), who attempts to keep all of his limbs intact while trying to rekindle an on-set romance and solve the disappearance of a big-time movie star. Here's the official synopsis:
He's a stuntman, and like everyone in the stunt community, he gets blown up, shot, crashed, thrown through windows and dropped from the highest of heights, all for our entertainment. And now, fresh off an almost career-ending accident, this working-class hero has to track down a missing movie star, solve a conspiracy and try to win back the love of his life while still doing his day job. What could possibly go right?
Don't expect this iteration of "The Fall Guy" to stay true to the original series, either. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the plot of the '80s TV series about stuntmen moonlighting as bounty hunters won't be followed too closely. Is this "The Fall Guy" in name only, then? Time will tell, but there should still be a lot of reverence and respect on display for the men and women who risk their lives for our entertainment.
Who is in the cast of The Fall Guy?
Yes, the spotlight is firmly on Gosling in the lead role of Colt Seavers in "The Fall Guy," and his take on the character looks like it will land somewhere between Steve Railsback in "The Stuntman" and Burt Reynolds in "Smokey and the Bandit." It should be a great performance, and Gosling will definitely be surrounded by some serious top-tier talent. The rest of the cast just happens to be completely stacked.
Emily Blunt ("Oppenheimer") also stars as Jody Moreno, the director of a sci-fi Western, Colt's ex, and the woman he wants to win back. He'll try to get in her good graces when Jody's production mysteriously loses its cocky lead actor, Tom Ryder – played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson ("Kraven the Hunter") — whom Colt had previously doubled in the past. Adding even more fire power to "The Fall Guy," Winston Duke ("Black Panther," "Us") will co-star as Colt's best friend, who looks like he'll be helping our dashing, bumbling protagonist find the missing movie star in question.
Rounding out the cast is Academy Award nominee Stephanie Hsu who turned heads with her layered performance in "Everything Everywhere All at Once." For "Ted Lasso" diehards, Emmy winner Hannah Waddingham will also be stealing a few scenes as a ruthless movie producer. Star Lee Majors from the original TV series has also been rumored to have a cameo in the film.
Who is the director of The Fall Guy?
Fittingly, "The Fall Guy" is directed by David Leitch who has become a major fixture within the stunt community as a gifted fight coordinator and action choreographer. Leitch previously helmed the U.S. remake of "Bullet Train" starring Brad Pitt. After co-directing "John Wick" with Chad Stahelski, Leitch has gone on to direct "Atomic Blonde" starring Charlize Theron, "Deadpool 2" and the "Fast & Furious" spinoff "Hobbs & Shaw." Leitch has also produced the hard-hitting actioner "Nobody" and the bloody Christmas heist film "Violent Night." "The Fall Guy" is said to be his most personal film yet.
Leitch is not only re-teaming with Aaron Taylor-Johnson for "The Fall Guy" (after "Bullet Train"), he's also working with "Hobbs & Shaw" screenwriter Drew Pearce, who is also an executive producer on the film. "The Fall Guy" is also produced by Kelly McCormick ("Bullet Train," "Nobody," "Atomic Blonde") and Leitch for their company 87North, and by Gosling and Guymon Casady ("Game of Thrones," and the upcoming series "Ripley") for Entertainment 360. Original creator of "The Fall Guy" TV series, Glen A. Larson, also serves as an executive producer.
Has The Fall Guy released a trailer?
The first trailer for "The Fall Guy" is over three minutes long, giving audiences a complete rundown of what to expect. The tone of what's shown absolutely pokes fun at the overly bloated, big-budget spectacle of most Hollywood fare, taking advantage of the movie-within-a-movie that Emily Blunt's character Jody is in the midst of directing. The chemistry between Gosling and Blunt is on full display in quick scenes showing how they both can strike that delicate balance between being desirable and looking dorky at the same time.
Gosling looks to be channeling his hilarious role in "The Nice Guys" into more of the reluctant swashbuckler type that's perfectly suited for him. Moments involving his character Colt trying to act cool are immediately followed by ridiculous antics featuring him drinking with his dog, quietly being set on fire, and attempting to break into a hotel room because he can't figure out how to use the key card.
With action-comedy hybrids like this, the laughs tend to land a lot better than the actual explosions, but "The Fall Guy" may prove to be the exception. Debuting a trailer this long shows that Universal and everyone involved has a lot of confidence in the project.
What to watch before seeing The Fall Guy
As long as it's not considered homework, the most obvious thing to watch before "The Fall Guy" hits theaters is the original series starring Lee Majors. A decade before he was a stuntman for the hit ABC show, Majors also starred in "The Six Million Dollar Man," a property that's also struggled to find its way back into the mainstream in recent years. Currently, only the first two seasons of "The Fall Guy" are available to stream on Prime Video, which should be plenty to get you worked up for Gosling's version.
In addition to the original series, it also makes a lot of sense to go back and watch some of the most famous stunt movies ever made. With "The Fall Guy," Leitch has the opportunity to pay homage to the stunt performers that have come before him, and there should be plenty of references and easter eggs to some of those classic films. Respectfully, Leitch has the chance here to become this generation's Hal Needham.
Needham's 1978 action comedy "Hooper" starring Burt Reynolds as an aging stuntman is surely a template for Gosling in "The Fall Guy." "Hooper" is available to rent or buy on all major VOD platforms including Amazon Video, Apple TV, Vudu, and DIRECTV, if you're so inclined!
"The Fall Guy" is set to blast into theaters on May 3, 2024.