Ryan Gosling highlights the performers at the premiere of The Fall Guy

(LR) Ryan Gosling as Colt Savers and Emily Blunt as Judy Moreno in The Fall Guy

Universal Pictures

Ryan Gosling and director David Leitch brought their poem to the movements of the artists, Scapegoatto the SXSW Film & Television Festival, where it received a very warm welcome.

“We hope this reflects the amount the crew makes for each individual film,” Gosling said of the romantic comedy, which had the audience at the Paramount Theater constantly applauding.

Gosling plays Colt, a stuntman who, after being out of the business for a year, is called back into action when the star of a big studio movie suddenly disappears and that big movie happens to be directed by his ex-wife (Emily Blunt). Colt becomes embroiled in a murder and cover-up that becomes much bigger than him or the film he longs to make.

Before the show, Gosling called out stunt performer Logan Holladay, who was in the audience. “There’s a moment in the movie where he convinces me to do a stunt he’s about to do. Then I get out of the car and he pats me on the back for the stunt he just pulled. How ridiculous is that?” Gosling said. “What I love about this movie is that you would never know that in any other movie, but in this movie you will. It’s an opportunity to finally acknowledge stunt actors and the amazing contribution they really make to movies.

ScapegoatFilm within the film allows Leach, the stunt man turned film director behind it John Wick, to show off his crew’s exciting skills. The film is packed with incredibly choreographed action sequences, while offering an inside look at how these action sequences are put together on the set of a blockbuster action movie. These included burning Colt Gosling (several times), rolling cars (several times), and fighting bad guys on the back of a dump truck while backed by Phil Collins’ “Against All Odds” (once, but it’s great).

As expected, but sometimes it’s hard to believe that this trick works Scapegoat It is done practically. “It was a love letter to stunts. We knew we had to be real in this world,” said Leitch, who produced the film with his producing partner and wife, Kelly McCormick, when asked how accurate it was. Scapegoat Plant said it comes to life on the tent pole, “incredibly precise. There’s always a little bit of chaos.”

In addition to Blunt and Gosling, Scapegoat Stars Winston Duke, Hannah Waddingham, and Stephanie Hsu were in attendance at the premiere. CAA President Brian Lourd and Universal Pictures President Donna Langley were also in attendance.

Gosling’s arrival in Austin came two days after he took the stage at the Dolby Theater for the 2024 Academy Awards, where he was nominated in the supporting actor category and performed his song from the blockbuster film. Barbie“I’m just Ken.” (“Don’t worry, I won’t sing, I promise,” Gosling joked when he took the stage.)

Also at the Oscars, Gosling and Blunt gave a presentation about the importance of stunt performers. When asked when he thought stunt artists would be honored with their own awards by the Academy, Leith responded: “I feel like it’s changing. There’s a group of people who work within the Academy. I think it will happen.”

Scapegoat It hits theaters on May 3.