Of all the movies hitting the 2024 movie schedule filled with fist rights, gun battles and explosions, Ryan Gosling’s upcoming TV-to-film adaptation The Fall Guy is the one that’s most cheekily eager to let fans know exactly how many fist fights, gun battles and explosions there are. It’s a stunt-filled spectacle, and seems tailor-made for inspiring theme park attractions, which makes Universal Studios Hollywood’s limited-run show such a brilliant idea. Even more of a genius move? Getting Gosling himself to take part. Slightly less (or maybe more) genius? Loudly referencing Barbie as the show is kicking into gear.
Given that The Fall Guy’s basic narrative is tethered to shining a spotlight on Hollywood stuntmen who deserve more attention, it could certainly inspire its own mainstay stunt spectacular in years to come. But it’s currently set up as a pre-show to the Waterworld Stunt Show that has served as a fan favorite in Universal’s L.A. park since 1995, and both Ryan Gosling and the new movie’s director David Leitch were both on-hand for the very first iteration of the show. And yeah, the actor was jokingly mistaken for Deadpool’s Ryan Reynolds more than once.
But it’s this one singled-out guy yelling a lonely “I’m just Ken!” into the abyss that stuck with me as much as anything else that went on. (I mean, the sweet jet ski stunts and people flying all over the place take top billing, but just after that is the Barbie callback.) Though it’s not so audible in all videos of the event, Variety’s tweet captured it quite clearly in the video below:
Ryan Gosling makes an appearance at Universal Studios Hollywood's "Fall Guy" pre-show. pic.twitter.com/4b4F6eWYFCApril 27, 2024
Amusingly enough, I’m pretty sure Gosling’s effort-fully cool Barbie character Ken would adore being put into the spotlight for something as relatively macho and badass as a live stunt show in front of a packed crowd. If he can pull off that musical number at the Oscars in full, then I’m sure some meticulously planned catapulting and wire-work wouldn’t be an obstacle in the slightest. So long as no one expects him to get his hair wet.
The only thing I can think of that would have possibly been a more amusing outburst to yell in Ryan Gosling’s direction would be for someone to yell out that The Fall Guy won for Best Stunt Show, followed by some confusion and the eventual reveal that the Moonlight stunt show actually won the award. Probably too much context needed for that one.
Now check out the full presentation of the Fall Guy show, which doesn’t feature as noteworthy an interruption about Ken.
With lots of solid hype from critics and fans following its SXSW debut — CinemaBlend was also impressed — The Fall Guy will crash expertly into theaters on May 3, 2024. Will a permanent theme park stunt show follow in the future? Stay Ken-ned. I mean tuned. Stay tuned.
