Ryan Gosling is a stuntman again. For the first time since 2011’s Drive, the Barbie star is strapped into the (stunt) driver’s seat in his new film, The Fall Guy. Directed by Bullet Train’s David Leitch—a former stunt double for Brad Pitt—the soon-to-be-blockbuster follows a stunt double named Colt Seavers (Gosling), who’s roped into a conspiracy while on set for a big-budget sci-fi film directed by his ex-girlfriend (Emily Blunt).

The title is a double entendre, of course: Gosling is the fall guy because he takes heavy drops as a stuntman, but he’s also accused of a crime he didn’t commit. When the movie’s star (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) goes missing, it’s up to Colt to be the leading man for once. Cue: winking jokes about how Gosling is somehow just the stuntman.

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The Fall Guy recently premiered in March at the 2024 South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, with critics hailing Leitch’s latest movie as his best one yet. Promotions for the film also focus on the real stuntmen behind its most insane feats, including breaking the Guinness World Record for the longest cannon roll since 2009’s Casino Royale. In an advertisement previewing the stunt, Gosling said, “It might’ve been the most tense day of my life.”

The Fall Guy is all about the stunts.

When Does The Fall Guy Premiere?

The Fall Guy opens in U.S. theaters on Friday, May 3. Select theaters across the country will show it the night before. Eventually, the action film will find its way to streaming services—likely on Peacock, since it’s distributed by Universal Pictures—but it will enjoy a good run in IMAX theaters first. Since The Fall Guy is sure to hit among audiences, you may need to buckle up and floor it to the multiplex to secure a seat.

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