The Fall Guy | What has early opinion been on Ryan Gosling’s post-Barbie film after SXSW screening?

Ryan Gosling wowing at the 96th Academy Awards after performing “What Am I Made For?” hasn’t been the only instance this week of the “Barbie” actor winning over audiences. The first opinions have been made regarding his first movie since the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon occurred - all regarding his role in David Leitch’s “The Fall Guy.”

Screening as part of this year’s SXSW Film Festival, “The Fall Guy” is a remake of the classic eighties TV series of the same name starring Lee Majors - he of “The Six Million Dollar Man” fame. While the series focuses on the weekly escapades of Colt Seavers, a Hollywood stuntman by day and bounty hunter by night, the new film trades Seavers’ role as a stuntman to instead a former stunt-choreographer, played by Ryan Gosling.

“[Finding] himself working on a film set with Tom Ryder, a famous actor for whom he had doubled long ago. When Tom goes missing and the film, which is being directed by Jody Moreno, Colt's ex-girlfriend in her directing debut, is in danger of being shut down, Colt volunteers to find Tom and save Jody's debut film.”

As Deadline reported, the film had its premiere at the SXSW Film Festival on Tuesday night at a packed-out Paramount Theatre, with Gosling, Leitch and co-star/”Ted Lasso” actress Hannah Waddingham on hand for the premiere. The audience’s reception “blew the roof off the theatre,” according to the same Deadline report, with early opinions of the film glowing.

Frederick Nuti of Bloody Disgusting took to X (formerly Twitter) to say the film “is made for movie lovers. A ton of references. A huge massive tip to the hat to stunt teams who make these movies possible. Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt are hilarious. Cinephiles are gonna love this. Filmmaking is art and this movie highlights that!” 

That tweet was accompanied by a host of other tweets praising the fact that most of the early reviews for “The Fall Guy” have been nothing but positive. So far the only stinging critique of the film is by Chase Hutchinson of The Wrap, writing “Very loosely based on the 1980s series, the film plays out over the course of nearly two hours without any fun, getting buried under empty gag after empty gag as it feels more like we ourselves are experiencing repeated head trauma.”

When is “The Fall Guy” released in the United Kingdom?

Though originally set to be a Netflix exclusive title, “The Fall Guy” has been given a UK theatrical release date of May 2 2024.