The ’80s were graced with the cool stunts and even cooler attitude of Lee Majors starring in ABC’s The Fall Guy. Now, the classic action-adventure program is getting turned into a movie starring Ryan Gosling, who is preparing for his starring role by chatting with Majors himself for some firsthand wisdom.
The original The Fall Guy series followed Majors as Colt Seavers, a stuntman by day and a bounty hunter by night. His knowledge of stunt work proves invaluable for catching fugitives and other criminals, and he is aided by his cousin Howie Munson, played by Douglas Barr, and stuntwoman Jody Banks, played by Heather Thomas. Here’s what to know about the upcoming movie and the friendship it already helped create.
Ryan Gosling is starring in an upcoming ‘The Fall Guy’ movie
David Leitch, the brain behind John Wick, Deadpool 2, Atomic Blonde, and Bullet Train, is set to direct the 2024 The Fall Guy film. Leitch has expressed excitement at the prospect of showing off the remarkable, tough, and dangerous work that stuntpeople pull off to bring creative visions to life. “Stunt Designers are the creative architects behind fight scenes, high falls, and more, and deserve to be recognized for the creative leadership of their contributions,” argued Leitch, who was given the green light to list one of the film’s credits as Stunt Designer rather than Stunt Coordinator.
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He added, “We hope this will pave the way for the stunts industry to get the recognition it deserves.” Leitch himself has served as a stuntman for Brad Pitt in Fight Club and for Matt Damon in The Bourne Ultimatum. He is pushing for as much authenticity as possible.
Also tapped for the project is writer Drew Pearce. Starring alongside Gosling are Emily Blunt, Winston Duke, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Hannah Waddingham, and Stephanie Hsu. The show’s theme song, “The Unknown Stuntman,” will also feature in the movie, sung by someone whom Gosling calls “a pretty great artist.”
Ryan Gosling has developed a close friendship with Lee Majors, for whom he has nothing but praise
During its heyday, The Fall Guys inspired a board game, video game, and comic strip—and now a film. Gosling is aiming to once again shine a light on the people who make the most dangerous stuff put to film seem the most real, at great risk to themselves, yet with plenty of hard work and training along the way.
“It’s not about superheroes, but about the people who play them,” explained Gosling. “Colt is a blue-collar hero, who, in a lot of ways, is just a regular guy. He’s relatable, struggling with loss and trying to find his way back. He’s resilient, the kind of person we hope to be in tough circumstances, someone who keeps getting back up and doesn’t give up.”
Ahead of telling these thrilling stories, Gosling got to spend time with the original Fall Guy himself.
“He came out to Australia and I had an opportunity to talk to him and spend the day with him,” recalled Gosling, speaking with People for the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. There, Gosling received the Kirk Douglas Award for Excellence in Film. “It was pretty great.”
“He’s so funny and he’s very lovely and gracious,” Gosling shared, also revealing that the two became “text buddies” and still maintain contact.
The Fall Guy premiered at SXSW on March 12 and has already received positive reviews from critics. It has also broken a Guinness World Record for the most cannon rolls performed in a car. 2024’s The Fall Guy film is expected to hit theaters in the U.S. and Canada on May 3.