As audiences ofThe Fall Guywill know, the action comedy is packed with intense stunts (one that even broke a Guinness World Record) which should come as a surprise to absolutely no one, as the film was under the direction of stuntman-turned-director,David Leitch. Marking the sixth project in his career behind the camera, paired with decades of on-set experience,The Fall Guyis Leitch’s biggest undertaking to date and, while it’s overflowing with dazzling stunt work, the cinematography also makes this one something special. During an interview with Collider’sSteve Weintraub, Leitch breaks down the scene that not only garnered a question from Weintraub but also from cinematic legend,Steven Spielberg.
The shot in question is at the very top of the film. The movie opens withRyan Gosling’s Colt Seaverswalking from his trailer to the film’s set.The stuntman is in his primeas he flirts withEmily Blunt’s Jody Moreno and travels to his mark more than 10 stories up. It’s a oner, meaning that it was completed in one shot, and is an incredible way to kick off the movie, teasing the audience that they’re in for the ride of their lives. Once he gets to the top, Gosling’s character is strapped in and performs a jaw-dropping stunt, something that Weintraub asked Leitch, “How much is CGI and a blue screen?” According to Leitch,“This was a question that Spielberg asked me too,”continuing,
“Steven got to see the movie, and he graciously invitedKelly[McCormick]and I to come talk about it. We were talking about this, and we were discussing, ‘Were there any stitches in that shot?’ And I said there weren’t any stitches, we went all the way up the elevator - until the moment we had to hook him into the rig, and there’s a really beautiful stitch. I’m not gonna spoil where it is. So we needed to be safe and hook him up to the rig, but all of that is real. Then we just stayed there, leaned him off the edge, craned out, and he’s hanging 12 stories in the air.That’s Ryan Gosling hanging 12 stories in the air. No green screen. Then we dropped him - free fall.”
Ryan Gosling Lives Up To The Film’s Title
Doing your own stunts is no walk in the park, especially if you’re afraid of heights.Leitch and McCormick have previously praised Gosling’s commitment to the bit, revealing that the actor was all in for a lot ofthe challenging technical aspects. Further digging into the scene and Gosling’s willingness to make the movie the best and most realistic it could be, Leitch said,
“[Gosling] likes to say that he was putting the sunglasses on to hide his panic, like it was an acting choice. [Laughs] But we built him up from shorter distances.He has a fear of heights, he had mentioned. That was the one stunt he was trying to negotiate out of at times, but he knew ultimately it wasimportant for him to feel what a stunt person must feelat that moment, and I credit him for that. So he went through the progression we asked him to do. We took him out to a parking lot, and we brought him up at different heights, and we showed him how the rig works. We tested it a couple times, so he could get used to it, so on the day he knew what it would feel like.”
And with that, one of the many great scenes inThe Fall Guywas completed thanks to thetireless work of the stunt crewand the film’s leading man. you’re able to catchThe Fall Guyin theaters now and check out Weintraub’s full conversation with Leitch below.
The Fall Guy
Colt Seavers is a stuntman who left the business a year earlier to focus on both his physical and mental health. He’s drafted back into service when the star of a mega-budget studio movie, which is being directed by his ex, goes missing.
Get Tickets
