In this Q&A, Ryan Reynolds explains how the idea for Free Guy came about and why this is an adventure that can speak to today's audience.
What if one day you realized you had no control over your life, your own story, but you were just the background character of another story? You will tell me, and you will be right, after all this is not the truth my friend? Aren't we all in the background of another story?
While we shave our beards and think about the heavy issues of existence, let's look at it a little more simply - and funly -. In Free Guy , Ryan Reynolds plays Guy, one such hero. He understands that he is just at the back of an open world video game and decides to do something about it.
To Free Guy released in theaters Thursday, August 12 from Feelgood Entertainment.
To find out more about one of the blockbusters of the summer - and certainly the one that intrigues us the most with its original idea - we secured an exclusive Q&A with the star and producer of the film. Reynolds talks about how he got the script from the beginning, what got him into the idea, how it later developed with director Shawn Levy, and what makes Free Guy a film that can speak to its audience. today.
Following is the Q&A performance:
What did you find interesting about the original script?
I loved the central idea. A bank teller who discovers that he is a character in the background of a violent open world video game. I found it exciting! I fell in love with Guy's character, who is looking for some kind of say in his own life, and a sense of belonging. I remember sending it directly to Shawn Levy because he and I have wanted to work together for years. I have been a fan of him for a long time now, not only as an artist, but also as a person.
What makes him an ideal director for Free Guy ?
I think he saw the same things I saw in the story. I miss the kind of storytelling that fulfills fantasies and I think Shawn thinks the same way. We knew it would be a lot of work so we sat down with screenwriter Zak Penn to work on each scene of the screenplay and make sure we build this world the right way. Shawn is exactly the man you want to build worlds with.
We stood on the backs of giants, because many of what we were aiming for had the feeling of Back to the Future , a film that fulfills fantasies but is also ageless in a sense. You can see it now and have the same experience you had in 1985, which does not apply to many such films. We wanted to fill the film with surprises and details, so that you can see something new in multiple views.
What can you tell us about Guy?
Guy has a childlike innocence, he has some very specific patterns that he follows every day. He is very optimistic, but then he meets this woman, Millie / MolotovGirl who helps him mature, and that is something he can talk to a lot of people about. It helps him mature in interesting ways, and he gains control of himself and the ability to start thinking independently, as a result. Guy comes out of the background and that has to do with so many things happening in the world right now.
It's rare to find a script or find a character that has such a well-defined arc, and I loved that in the script. Also, to speak a little more universally about the film, you can take different elements of this story and project them into what is happening in the world right now.
How was Jodie Comer as Millie / MolotovGirl?
We read so many fantastic actors, one after the other. Jodie was one of the last auditions and it was like seeing Meryl Streep in her first role. It was one of those magical moments that I will never forget. I remember going badly on stage with her because I was caught up in how delicate and multi-layered work she did and how good she was. Even when I thought she was not good, she was better than I could ever be. It is just always present. We all love Killing Eve and knew we weren't human like Villanelle, so we wondered how this would go. And yes, they did drive us crazy.
How was Taika Waititi playing Antwan?
Taika is, quite simply, a beast. We could have made a whole movie out of his outtakes or what we didn't use. It is a legend. The things he does and how his mind works and how fast and instinctive he is, are simply unreal.
Are you a fan of video games in general?
I used to play video games when I was little but I did not grow up with this culture. They are addictive and fun and I have spent a lot of time playing Fortnite and Grand Theft Auto and some of these other open world violent games just to learn how to make them. What I got from these games, especially during the pandemic, is that they offer a sense of accessibility and community, and for many people who are alone, it enables them to enter this world where they have a sense of coexistence, something absolutely necessary for mental health. I look at video games through a completely different lens now, because in the way our world has changed, I have nothing but respect for the culture of gamers.
In addition to playing Guy, you are also the producer of the film. What kind of projects are you talking about as a producer?
The only movies I've produced other than Free Guy are Deadpool . I like it because I feel like it is a partner in the creative process. I'm not pretending to know how to direct, so I let Shawn do his job and we work together badly for that reason. And there is a mutual respect. As I get older, this becomes more and more important in a set.
One big lesson I learned years ago is that you can not be good or great if you are not allowed to be bad too, and that is all I have left. When I make films now I want to be sure that especially the younger actors feel comfortable being able to do something wrong, but without shame - because that would kill the creative process. Some of the best ideas have started with horrible ideas and are maturing from there, so this is the set we want to create.
How do you think the audience will react to the film, and why do you think it is important to see it on the big screen?
After all, this movie is just an explosion of joy. It allows you to get out of the room in the same way I left Exit to the Future when I was a kid, as if I were higher than the ground. I felt an uproar watching that movie, I challenge anyone to see it and not leave the cinema with a huge smile on their face.
This movie is one of those physical experiences, and it breaks my heart to think that part of the audience may not have the opportunity to see it on the big screen. Given that all the security protocols are in place, I look forward to people experiencing the movie in the cinema, on the big screen, with the sound that makes you feel your chest throbbing. It's a huge part of the experience, and it's a huge movie, so to see it that way is very important.
* Free Guy will be released in theaters on Thursday, August 12 by Feelgood Entertainment.
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