Producer Kelly McCormick isn’t prone to counting chickens before they hatch, especially when they come in the form of $125 million blockbusters built around the long-gestating resurrection of some classic TV IP. But, given the critical affection already poured on her latest, “The Fall Guy,” and the apparent readiness of the moviegoing public to see a tentpole that truly has it all (plus stunts so massive they are already literal world record-breakers), it might be time for McCormick to start thinking “franchise potential” right now.
As co-founder of the production and action design company 87North — along with her husband, “The Fall Guy” director David Leitch — McCormick is a major player in the action space. Man, does she have fun with it. She’s produced everything from “Bullet Train” and “Atomic Blonde” to “Nobody,” along with executive producing “Deadpool 2” and “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw.”
McCormick and Leitch’s latest is very close to their hearts, as it follows a Hollywood stuntman (like Leitch was back in the day) who must overcome some major personal and professional upheavals to a) get back his career, b) get back his lady, and c) solve a wacky mystery involving the nutty superstar he’s long done his best stunts for. Based loosely on the ’80s TV show of the same name, this “Fall Guy” features a Barbenheimer one-two punch in its leading roles (Ryan Gosling as Colt Seavers, Emily Blunt as Jody Moreno), with Hollywood flair to spare.
Ahead, McCormick talks to IndieWire about crafting record-breaking stunts, the genius of Ryan Gosling, those James Bond rumors, and changing the Oscar conversation around stunt performers. If you previously enjoyed her insights into shaping a key (and very funny! and also quite sweet!) “Fall Guy” sequence around a Taylor Swift jam, we think you’ll like this one, too.
The following interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
IndieWire: There’s one thing that disappointed me in “The Fall Guy.” How come Ryan Gosling doesn’t sing the theme song, like Lee Majors did in the show?
Kelly McCormick: Because it’s a little off-tone, we had thought about how we were going to incorporate it, but it didn’t really go with the flow of the movie. But I think Blake [Shelton] doing it at the end is perfect. Blake did a great job changing the lyrics so that it was super-connective for now. I think it is the perfect way to wink out of the movie. I was so worried when you were like, “This is my only thing.” I’m like, “Oh, gosh!” [Laughs]
The last time we talked, it was for “Bullet Train,” and it finally seemed as if “The Fall Guy” was going to happen, after what had seemed like a lot of talking about it. What were those roadblocks?
It was worth the wait. It doesn’t feel like it was that much time in the end, but we did have to wait for “Barbie.” That’s a funny story. Everyone was pretty mad that we had to wait for “Barbie,” and now we’re really happy that we waited for “Barbie.”
We needed the time to get it all right. One of the things that changed is we decided to shoot in Australia. We were looking at other destinations. Specifically, Berlin was on the table for a really long time, but we wanted blue skies. We wanted a summer environment. You can get that in Berlin, but not [at the time] we were able to make the movie because of Ryan[’s schedule]. We were like, let’s pivot to Australia, because we wanted it to not be LA-based. All of us in the film business don’t get to work in Los Angeles; we’re always going someplace else.
We wanted that to be part of Colt’s story that he had to go someplace far, far away. But we also wanted it to be sexy and cosmopolitan and interesting but have its little quirks, too. Sydney ended up being the perfect destination. They wanted us, and so they gave us access to everything and shooting in really unique ways, which is hard there, because there’s a lot of rules. Their city is really actually small for how big it is. Permitting is a thing because they have to still make that town run. So that all took time, and we were lucky to have it because of “Barbie.”
Why did you decide not to make Colt a bounty hunter?
You know the show! In our version, he was never a bounty hunter. The idea that there was this other thing happening off-set was the thing we were excited about. For this one, what we liked most, what we pitched and sold [was] more of a noir where he was more investigative and good at it. Then it ended up being funnier and cooler if he was actually the fall guy and that he was really bad at investigating.
It’s really hard to make a great investigation happen, especially when it’s only one of the three stories that you’re telling. If we got lucky to do more [movies], I don’t think he becomes a bounty hunter. I think it’s always something happening on set in a different way. What I like about [the original show] is that it’s always this dragnet thing that happens with the crew and bad costumes and horrible prop. That’s the fun part of the show to me, not that he’s this bounty hunter.
When you make a change like that, are you worried fans of the original show will balk? Also, are you worrying or thinking about what you can put for younger audiences who don’t know the show?
The title … it was actually not a great choice to grab this title, because it splits rights and you never want to have the split rights situation as a producer for a big — hopefully — start of a franchise. But it’s such a cool title, and it means so many things in the movie and hopefully for all of time.
We were more interested in what the title meant, as far as it is connected to being a stunt performer, as well as all the things that he was going through, than we were [in] being true to the show. That being said, I think the coda [of the film] is all that you need. It’s a thing that I remember from the show. It’s like, they have that takedown, and everybody gets theirs in the end. It was all about the “Fall Guy” show in the DNA of it.
There have been a few stories about how Ryan and Emily’s characters evolved over time. Emily said Jody was inspired by Greta Gerwig, and Ryan has said their romance was inspired by you and David.
[Laughs] He is so sweet. Well, first of all, Jody’s character used to be a makeup artist. Not to toot my own horn, but I came up with the idea that she should become a first-time director, [with] the weight of her dream on her shoulders. She still has feelings for [Colt] and she’s really trying not to, and the stakes are so high there, and then you have this really important relationship happening between the two of them in the middle.
How much of it is David? What’s funny is the four of us work really well together, and I do think that why Ryan and David work so well together is because they’re always wanting more. Whether it be the word or the intonation or just anything that they can try to do better, they’re always wanting more. Emily and I are like, “You got it. It’s right here.” That is something that worked for the characters and I think is how David and I are.
Clearly, there’s some hope for a franchise here. Ryan isn’t someone who’s really been a franchise person for most of his adult career. What about this do you think was appealing to him?
We never go in saying [we want to make this a franchise], because we are scared always and so many things can get in the way. Everybody wants another “Atomic Blonde,” everybody wants another “Hobbs and Shaw,” but there’s so many other things that sometimes happen that you have no control over. We are always like, “Well, let’s just do this one.” Ryan really connects with this character. I think you can tell he wanted to have fun and he wanted to use, as David says, all the paintbrushes in a toolbox. He was on from pitch phase.
He and David are always [wanting] more and more, [thinking about] what would the audience want to see? What would we want to see? They created this character that I don’t think [Ryan] wants out of. That’s one of the things David does so well. He is open to that. He requires that collaboration. He has a partner in that need, so they fall in love with the experience and the character and the character becomes them in a way.
“Barbie” seemed like a great reminder that Ryan really can do everything. We saw people being like, “Oh, my God, I forgot that Ryan Gosling is funny. I forgot that he could sing.” And it’s like, “I’ve been watching this man since the ‘Mickey Mouse Club.’ He can do everything.”
I really feel like he’s coming into his own. He’s such a genius, and he’s such a master, and he’s such a hard worker. He learned all of it, and he lived all of it, and it’s part of everything that he does because that’s who he is. It’s interesting, I thought a lot about Ken and I think a lot of actors would get stuck as Ken forever. I think that hopefully Colt gives Ryan an opportunity to not be Ken forever.
You guys also obviously love working with Aaron Taylor-Johnson.
We do. How good is he? He’s so crazy.
What is it like for you and David when these James Bond rumors keep popping up year after year?
Yes, please. I think it’s the perfect role for him. I think it’s a way for the franchise — if they wanted to — to evolve because he is really funny, and they should use that part of him too. He’s an incredible athlete. We haven’t [totally] used that part of him yet, honestly. I do feel like David’s work is part of the reason why he is in the conversation, which really just feels great, to be honest. Feels like one plus one equals more than two, and I hope he has the opportunity. He would be amazing.
We’ve talked about the potential of stunts being honored at the Oscars. Since then, casting directors are now getting their own category. Did that news make you feel like, OK, we’re getting somewhere, they are open to adding new categories?
Well, since the last time we talked, we’ve gotten much more involved in the fight, although I don’t want to even call it a fight, I want to call it an initiative or something. There’s new leadership, too. I think the leadership understands that the evolution of the Academy needs to be happening. With our connections there, they have given us a lot of ideas how we can help the conversation go. Watching the casting directors and what they did and how they maneuvered through The Academy and what was needed to get the support by the governorship as well as the membership at large is now a blueprint for the stunt community.
We added to Chris O’Hara’s credit of “stunt coordinator” the “stunt designer” title. That is an educational verbiage. That helps articulate that these guys and gals are artists as well, that there is artistry involved. I think that’s necessary.
When you guys are doing these massive stunts, literally Guinness World Record-breaking stunts, what’s your favorite moment?
After. What was great about this one is Universal let us do a lot of big, big practical stunts, and we put the best in class in the world to do it. What was still awesome is that we were making guys’ and gals’ dreams come true. That just gives me chills. These stunt people want to perform these accomplishments. It’s one of the reasons they’re in it.
What’s great about our movie is if people didn’t know it before, they now realize that as a stunt performer, you put it all on the line. You are risking literally your life at times, and your whole job is to hide your face, your whole job is sometimes to make somebody else look good and for that person to get the credit and there’s a place for that.
Something like the cannon roll, on paper, it was this world record-breaking stunt, and it was really hard to achieve because of the density of the sand. That’s in the film, and it really is a thing! In rehearsals, one of them would go four rolls, another one would go seven. Then on the first day we shot, it went four-and-a-half rolls, and it was literally because of the density of the sand, how much PSI you put on it if you turn the wheels just a little bit.
The truck went head over trunk instead of the way it was supposed to roll, which is one of the reasons why it [took fewer] rolls. But I was like, “That is a beautiful roll, though. You know what? Colt’s rusty.” For me, action is about the character anyway, so I’m like, “Let’s just go with that.” It looked like it hurt a little bit.
The stunt team came to us, said we had an extra car, we had some time that next morning. If the conditions were right, could we give it another try? They figured out the right PSI pressure because that was what they had control over, and they understood the sand enough. Then, they do it, and we’re just sitting there and it felt like he rolled for 100 rolls. It felt like it never stopped.
I shouldn’t say it, but I think Chris O’Hara shed a tear. I know he did. It’s such an accomplishment for him as a stunt coordinator and designer, and it’s a world record. Those are hard to do. That’s why they’re called world records. I think you can feel that energy in the whole movie. I think the audience feels that energy, because you can’t recreate it.
You guys are always busy, what is actually next in the pipeline for you and David?
Jonathan Eusebio’s “With Love.” We’re shooting right now with Ke Huy Quan, which I’m really excited about. We’re starting our third week today. It’s another “Nobody”-sized film where he gets to lead it. Ariana DeBose just joined us. It’s actually a script that has been around, David had it before we met. He loved that script so much that we kept it around and it’s like this dead body that floats to the surface every so often. Then, finally, we had all the right pieces that became the thing that is its best version, that Universal got behind, and we’re so excited about it. It’s going to be really fun.
I’m hoping for a “Nobody 2” in late summer, hopefully. “Violent Night 2,” we’re working on the scripts to get to early next year. Then we’ve got a couple of things for David [to direct], but we haven’t landed exactly the right thing. It’s so hard. He’s gotten to do so much awesome stuff, and he had so much success, but it’s more pressure every time to make sure that you’re choosing the right thing that really needs David as opposed to that he could do, because he can do anything. We’ve got a few things, but I just don’t know which one we’re going to do yet.
Universal Pictures will release “The Fall Guy” in theaters on Friday, May 3.
