The Fall Guy: 6 lesser-known facts about the action film starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt

Barbie star Ryan Gosling and Oppenheimer star Emily Blunt unite for David Leictch’s action comedy film The Fall Guy. The plot follows a retired stuntman named Colt Seavers, who returns to work when the lead actor of a film goes missing. Colt decides to investigate the mystery of the disappearance, but soon becomes caught in the web of a dark conspiracy that presents challenges and risks more perilous than any stunt he's faced. The film released in theatres recently to a positive critical reception. Today’s episode of the Now You Know podcast offers six lesser-known facts and trivia about The Fall Guy.

1. The Fall Guy pays homage to classic Hollywood action films with its extravagant car rolls and action sequences. You can tell as much from the trailers itself. But did you know that the film set a new Guinness World Record for the most car rolls when they pulled off a sequence featuring 8.5 rolls?

2. Those in the know would be aware that development for The Fall Guy began nearly 14 years ago. And in the time that it took to get this project on the floor, various Hollywood A-listers such as Tom Cruise, Keanu Reeves, Nicolas Cage, Jason Statham, and Dwayne Johnson were considered for the lead role of Colt Seavers. But as it turns out, the role eventually went to Ryan Gosling.

3. Speaking of  Ryan Gosling, the Barbie star recently revealed that he had a memorable encounter with Steven Spielberg at the Golden Globes earlier this year. Gosling added that during his chance meeting with the legendary auteur, Speilberg expressed his admiration for The Fall Guy. Gosling claims that he cherishes Spielberg's approval, and considers it a defining moment in his film illustrious career.

4. The film within the film, Metalstorm, draws inspiration from the real 1983 film Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn, and they even share the same tagline "It's high noon at the edge of the universe." But look through the lens of the average cinephile and it’s obvious that it also pays homage to the Dune films through its costumes, desert setting, themes, and music. Interestingly, in The Fall Guy’s story, Jason Momoa replaces Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s character Tom Ryder as Space Cowboy in Metalstorm after Ryder’s disappearance; and Momoa starred in Dune: Part One in a pivotal role.

5. It is well-documented that actors often go to great lengths by performing their own stunts to bring a level of authenticity to their characters. Imagine Tom Cruise throwing himself from a cliff on a bike instead of relying on CG or a body double to pull it off. And since The Fall Guy features a stuntman in the lead, it was natural there would be a few death-defying action sequences in store for Gosling. But did he actually perform any of them himself? Well, despite his fear of heights, Gosling did take a stab at a daring 150-foot fall in an early scene in the film.

6. The film has plenty of references and callbacks to iconic Hollywood films and for those with a keen eye, there would be more than a few easter eggs to spot. Here’s one: just before the climax of the film, the car's speedometer display reads "88," which is a direct reference to the speed required for the DeLorean in Back to the Future to activate its time travel device. Now, that’s one hat tip to look out for!

Well that's all for this episode of Now You Know , until the next one it's your host Nikhil signing out.

Aaj kya dekhoge OTTplay se poocho

• Written by Ryan Gomez