When “The Fall Guy” star Ryan Gosling and director David Leitch recently made a surprise guest appearance at a new “Fall Guy”-themed live show at Universal Studios Hollywood, they riled up the audience when a story unfolded. funny about a director who pushes his team to perform increasingly complicated stunts.
Jet ski-type boats flip over, explosions send actors flying, and if you're sitting near the front row, a hot piece of rubber shrapnel may land next to your knee. It's all very fun. “This is a live show based on a movie, based on a TV show, based on a stuntman,” is one of the show's jokes.
“The Fall Guy Stuntacular Pre-Show,” which can be seen before the park’s popular “WaterWorld” show through May 19, was produced in association with 87North Productions, which was co-founded by Leitch, a former stuntman, and producer Kelly. McCormick. The idea came to Leitch and his team during a tour of the theme park last year.
A stuntman turns around during “The Fall Guy Stuntacular Pre-Show” at Universal Studios Hollywood.
(Universal Studies)
“We reached out to David O'Connor at Universal with an image of several iconic actions from our film composited within the 'WaterWorld' space and he called back and said, 'We're releasing this to the parks.' It's so good!' And then we started developing it together,” Leitch said.
Gosling wanted to be part of the pre-show from the moment he found out, Leitch said, and a special script was put together before the duo's live appearance at the park.
Gosling told Leitch that he stole the show, “but I'm pretty sure that's not the case,” the director joked.
Stuntmen have come into the spotlight with the release of “The Fall Guy,” co-starring Emily Blunt in the story of a low-profile stuntman suddenly called in to find the missing star for whom he regularly doubles.
The film didn't have the best opening at the box office, but those results (which can improve over time, as romantic comedies sometimes do) have done little to dampen the public's renewed interest in the wild, grueling and anonymous world of the specialists. , leading some within the industry to say that the film makes the best case for creating an Oscar category for stunts.
