Could The Fall Guy convince the Academy to finally make a stunts Oscar category? Ryan Gosling seems to think so.
Tomorrow marks the release of The Fall Guy here in the UK, with Ryan Gosling looking to build on the surge in popularity he has enjoyed since wowing audiences as Ken in last year’s Barbie.
Now, Gosling is set to open 2024’s blockbuster season with the action comedy directed by David Leitch and co-starring Emily Blunt.
Despite being the film’s star, Gosling used the film’s premiere to direct some love towards the stunt performers who made the film (and many others like it), calling the movie “a love letter to the stunt community.” With the film’s director David Leitch having worked his way to directing via the career of stunt performer, we’re hoping the movie delivers on that promise and despite the obviously comedic tone, pays homage to the skilled and hard-working people that make the thrilling moments in the films we love.
On that topic, Gosling used the film’s premiere to give stunt performers some love.
“They are the hardest working people in show business,” Gosling said before the premiere. “This movie is just a giant campaign to get stunts an Oscar.”
He added, “We are the face of these films, but the crews really make the movies, and this is a love letter to them.”
It’s a lovely sentiment from Gosling, but we’re hoping it’s a feeling that he continues to voice throughout the film’s release and beyond. Following the adulation he’s received in the wake of Barbie's success, it would be nice to see him use that star power to elevate the role of stunt performers who bafflingly, still don’t have an Oscar category of their own. All despite the recent news that casting professionals will be eligible for an Oscar from 2026 onwards.
Whether the wider Hollywood community takes note, we’ll have to see. Should the film prove to be hugely popular, that certainly won’t hurt in shining a spotlight on the men and women who train, work and take huge risks to make movies exciting and unforgettable.
Here’s hoping that Gosling’s declaration is the beginning of a sustained campaign rather than a throwaway comment.
Here’s a synopsis for The Fall Guy, as well as a trailer should you want to appreciate some of that stunt work Gosling was championing.
‘Having left the business a year earlier to focus on both his physical and mental health, [Colt] is soon drafted back into service when the star of a mega-budget studio movie goes missing, a film being directed by his ex, Jody Moreno (Blunt). While the film’s ruthless producer (Waddingham), tries to keep the disappearance of star Tom Ryder (Taylor-Johnson) a secret from the studio and the media, Colt performs the film’s most outrageous stunts while trying to charm his way back into Jody’s good graces.’
