As soon as footage emerged of Ryan Gosling on the back of a truck speeding across the Harbour Bridge, The Fall Guy had our attention.
Throughout January 2023, Gosling continued to make headlines after he was spotted around Sydney filming his latest action movie; wearing an iconic 80s getup, performing his own stunts, and working with a stellar supporting cast – and safe to say, we were hooked.
But what actually is The Fall Guy? And where can we watch it? We’re answering all of your burning questions.
What is The Fall Guy based on?
The Fall Guy is loosely based on the 1980s TV series of the same name, which centred around stunt performers.
Starring the likes of Lee Majors, Douglas Barr and Heather Thomas, the action-adventure series followed Hollywood stunt performers who moonlit as bounty hunters.
First premiering in 1981, the series came to an end in 1956 following five seasons and 113 episodes.
“It’s a really crazy show,” producer Kelly McCormick told WHO at the film’s Sydney Premiere. “They did crazy action every week…it was insane and it is the show that really lit the fuse for stunt performers in David’s generation, so we had a soft spot for it.
“If you look back at the 80’s show I think we’ve done it justice,” adds director David Leitch. “It is tonally in the same ballpark, but we contemporised it and had a lot of fun with it.”
Where to watch the original The Fall Guy Show
Unfortunately, you can’t re-watch the complete series at this stage due to copyright reasons concerning the music, but fans can rent season one of the show through Apple where episodes are priced at $2.99.
You can also purchase season two of The Fall Guy via Amazon, with the DVD set of the complete season priced at $18.63.
What is The Fall Guy about?
In a reinvention of the original franchise, The Fall Guy film follows Colt Seavers, a seasoned stunt performer who faces the adrenaline rush of explosive action, thrilling falls, and daring crashes. Fresh from a near-career-ending incident, Colt, a working-class hero, must embark on a mission to locate a vanished movie star, untangle a web of conspiracy, and reclaim lost love, all while juggling his day job.
Starring Oscar nominee Ryan Gosling as Colt Seavers and Golden Globe winner Emily Blunt as Jody Moreno, Colt’s ex, the movie explores Colt’s journey as he navigates dangerous stunts and attempts to mend fences with Jody. However, he finds himself drawn into a web of fraud and danger that threatens to unravel everything.
Directed by acclaimed stuntman and director David Leitch, The Fall Guy pays tribute to the unsung heroes of the film industry and promises to be a hilarious, action-packed thriller.
“I think [the movie] is really just about the joy of making movies,” David told WHO. “It’s not just the stunt people who enjoy their job…this is a love letter to all the crew and how much we love making movies.”
“It’s also a love letter to commercial, big, fun action films…it’s a total ‘joybomb’ and we want people to have fun watching it.”
Does Ryan Gosling do his own stunts in The Fall Guy?
During an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in February 2024, Ryan revealed he was in fact the man behind some of the film’s action-packed stunts.
The actor admitted he couldn’t avoid the stunt work since the movie is a homage to stunt performers – and director David Leitch is a former stuntman himself.
“I was prepared to be the first actor to say I have done none of my own stunts. I would be happy to say that,” he said.”They weren’t going to let that happen.”
Explaining that he was dropped from a 12-story building while filming one stunt scene and dragged along Sydney Harbour Bridge while riding a shovel in another, Ryan revealed the directors and producers wanted to use real stunts for the movie instead of relying on CGI and green screens.
“It was very early. I wasn’t fully caffeinated. I grabbed a shovel and suddenly it happened,” the actor said of filming the headline-grabbing bridge scene. “We did it a few times. I went back to my trailer and slept and I thought, ‘That was a weird dream.'”
But how did the iconic stunt come to be? According to lead stunt co-ordinator Chris O’Hara, Sydney’s love of a humble Garbage Truck was all they needed.
“The whole bin truck idea came from the director scout and seeing all the bin trucks and construction in Sydney,” he told WHO. “That was the first thing we really prepped up and…it was like a mobile stunt building factory.”
“[Ryan] did more than just a ‘little bit’ himself,” added stunt coordinator Keir Beck of the stuntwork required in the film. “He did so much of it himself and it was so impressive as an actor of his calibre that he was able to jump into the role of a stunt guy as a character and as a stunt man, so hats off to Ryan – he did so much himself and it was really impressive to see.”
Where to watch The Fall Guy
Missed out on the stunt action in cinemas? The Fall Guy will be available to stream in Australia on November 30, 2024.
Stream The Fall Guy on BINGE from $10/month with a 7-day free trial. Subscribe here.