David Leitch’s Fall Guy has become highly anticipated ever since its trailer was released. On top of having soring reviews from audiences and critics alike, the film has an excellent story and a dream cast. It would seem, however, that the filmmaker’s past has had a significant influence on the movie, its plot, and who he wants to feature in it.
Before becoming the respected filmmaker that he is today, Leitch was a very successful and well-known stuntman. His time as one seems to have had a great impact on him as not only does it affect how he makes his movies, but also what he makes them about.
David Leitch’s Fall Guy Was Made For One Specific Reason
When David Leitch made the upcoming Fall Guy, it seemed he had one specific goal. It is quite a well-known fact that he used to be one of the most respected stuntmen in the business. Stuntmen are some of the most underappreciated people in Hollywood, so, now that Leitch has also become a respected filmmaker, he wants to be a voice for them.
During an interview with EW, the filmmaker revealed that he wanted to make the Ryan Gosling film as a love letter to the stunt people of the film industry. Indeed, the movie follows the story of Colt Seavers, a stuntman who gets involved in some very shady business. Leitch revealed that he wanted the film to focus on the lives of the stunt people.
“Stunt people and all the blue-collar crews were struggling this year as we had our labor strikes,” Leitch told, “They’re the ones that really make the magic happen. I just thought it was time to tell a story from their perspective.”
He elaborated that they are some of the most important parts of any movie’s production, requiring great talent to do what they do. He touched on the topic of the SAG-AFTRA strikes, where many of these blue-collar workers were forced into unemployment and struggled a great ton. He simply wanted to allow them to be the stars of the show rather than hide their faces, which they usually do.
David Leitch Wanted Stunt People To Star In His Film
David Leitch then talked about the cast of the film. He revealed how the process of deciding who would star in what role was also affected by his inclination towards the stunt people of Hollywood. While the main cast of the film does contain big-name actors like Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Winston Duke, many supporting characters are played by lesser-known faces.
“I don’t want to give too much away, but Justin has a small part, playing a stunt double on set,” Leitch teased. “It’s life imitating art, so maybe he doesn’t have to stretch too far to play that character. It’s a fun, pivotal role. And I also have a whole troop of bad guys. It’s a lot of faces the stunt community will recognize and cheer for, even though they’re the bad guys.”
The filmmaker revealed that he wanted to feature many people from the world of stunt-doubling in his movie. He took the example of Justin Eaton, who is now one of the most well-known stuntmen in Hollywood, having featured in projects like Avengers: Endgame, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, The Killer, and Doctor Strange. Without giving too much away, Leitch revealed that the stuntman would be starring in a small but significant role in the movie.
Fall Guy is set to release in theaters on 3rd May 2024.
