Emily Blunt and Ryan Gosling's new film, ‘The Fall Guy,’ highlights behind-the-scenes stunt work
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s stunt coordinator explains why he wants a fair contract in strike negotiations
Freddy Bouciegues, a stunt coordinator in Hollywood, explains what he wants to see come out of the strike to Fox News Digital.
Emily Blunt and Ryan Gosling hope audiences will continue to appreciate the people who make movies happen behind the scenes as artificial intelligence continues to infiltrate the industry.
Their new movie, "The Fall Guy," focuses on a stuntman, played by Gosling, roped into a secret mission while working on a film directed by Blunt’s character.
In an interview with The Times, Gosling noted their film, which focuses heavily on practical stunts, felt relevant though it was shot before the strikes, with AI being a major issue.
"It’s funny," Gosling stated. "Because we made this before the strike, but it felt like the topic was brewing. My character even wears an IATSE [International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees] union T-shirt."
Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt spoke about AI impacting Hollywood with The Times while promoting their movie "The Fall Guy." (Phillip Faraone/WireImage)
NEW 'FALL GUY' FILM STARRING RYAN GOSLING AND EMILY BLUNT BREAKS A GUINNESS WORLD RECORD
Gosling related a story to The Times about a prop master breaking and gluing a mug back together for his character in the film, to show that it was something special for him. The actor noted nobody else noticed, but for him, it highlighted why everyone working behind the scenes matters.
"There are a lot of cynical films about Hollywood," Gosling said. "But we have one of the best jobs in the world, so we wanted to turn a lens on to all the people that really make these films, to honor them. They’re the lifeblood. And it’s never their fault if the film doesn’t turn out well."
The Times mentioned a viral email from the BBC about opting to use computers instead of an actor, likely referring to the recent news that "Mamma Mia!" star Sara Poyzer was informed by email she was being replaced by AI for a project.
Blunt said "people have huge concerns" about AI and wondered, "Is it for our greater good?" (Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)
WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?
Blunt was shocked, and told the outlet, "People have huge concerns," when it comes to the technology.
She continued, "AI is something we’re all nervous about and it’s extraordinary what human beings have done with technology, but it doesn’t mean that you should necessarily use it. Is it for our greater good? For the good of cinema? For people’s jobs? I don’t know…"
Artificial intelligence was a key sticking point in negotiations last year during the writers' and actors' strikes that shut down Hollywood for most of the summer and fall.
Artificial intelligence was a key issue in the strikes that shut down Hollywood for months last year. (NDZ/Star Max/GC Images)
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Freddy Bouciegues, a stunt performer and coordinator who has worked with stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ryan Reynolds and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, told Fox News Digital during the strikes last year he was hoping to see a "fair contract."
"If you use our likeness, and you see our likeness, and you see that it's a performer, you want to be fairly compensated for it," he noted. "And it's not an unfair ask, I don't think."
Stunt coordinator Freddy Bouciegues, who has worked with Arnold Schwarzenegger, told Fox News Digital last year he hoped the strikes would result in a "fair contract." (Getty Images)
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After months of negotiations, SAG-AFTRA, the actors' guild, ended its strike in November.
According to a summary of the new contract on the union’s website, employers must obtain "clear and conspicuous" consent from performers before creating "digital replicas" of them for a project and pay them for the time they would have otherwise worked in person.
