THE FALL GUY Cast Are the Meta-ist in This Very Funny Promo Clip

Highlights

The stars of Universal’s The Fall Guy are doing some very funny (and hella meta) marketing clips to support the movie.
The Fall Guy, inspired by the 1980s TV show, stars Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, and Hannah Waddingham in a stunt-fueled action comedy that’s a movie within a movie about making a movie based on a TV Show.
The Fall Guy opens in theatres on May 1.

Meta Fabulous

If you’ve been tracking the lead-up to the release of Universal Pictures’ The Fall Guy you’ve probably seen the fun trailer (if not, we got you below). Or maybe you saw Ryan Gosling absolutely killing it on Saturday Night Live where he was joined in the monologue by co-star Emily Blunt and who went viral with the now legendary Beavis and Butthead sketch. Well, now he, Blunt, and co-star Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso) are hitting the interwebs with a hilarious new marketing campaign to support the movie.

In the clip, Blunt, Gosling, and the film’s director (and real-life stuntman) David Leitch are gathered in a weirdly dark conference room at a weirdly massive table for a marketing meeting about the movie. Waddingham enters telling them that, since she plays the producer in this very meta film, then she will produce the marketing campaign too. What follows is a bunch of bits where Gosling and Blunt have been slapped into famous Universal movie posters including Hobbes & Shaw, Twins, and an epic Jurrasic Park mash-up.

It’s a fine premise that massively over-performs in the hands of the very funny trio. Yes, it’s marketing, but it plays like a great SNL sketch and does a great job of teasing the movie’s vibe and raising anticipation simultaneously. Well played Universal Marketing.

Runnin, Jumpin, and Fallin’… in Love?

The film, which follows a stuntman (Gosling) who is tasked with saving the movie he’s in and which is being directed by his ex (Blunt) is a big, splashy action comedy. It features Waddingham as the film’s producer and what looks like every stuntperson in America. There are explosions, high falls, flying bullets, and, at one point, Gosling is set on fire while he stares lovingly at Blunt, whom he is desperately trying to win back.

The film is directed (in real life) by David Leitch who has helmed such mega-hit action movies as John Wick and Bullet Train. The script is by Hobbes & Shaw screenwriter Drew Pearce. In summary, if you enjoy action, comedy, stunts, and aggressively blonde film stars, there’s no reason not to see this movie.

(Very) Loosely Inspired

The Fall Guy is loosely inspired by the 1980s TV series of the same name that starred Lee Majors (The Bionic Man) as Colt Seavers, a Hollywood stuntman who moonlights as a bounty hunter. In the movie, Gosling is tasked with tracking down the missing star of the movie for which he’s doing stunts and hi-jinks ensue. The character names and the stunts seem to be the main things connecting the film to the series, but the trailer does have a manic, funny, and very dangerous vibe that seems to connect the two.

The Fall Guy clip and trailer are below. Have a look and tell us what you think in the comments!