Director David Leitch revealed that Chinese kung fu megastar Jackie Chan is an inspiration for him and his new movie "The Fall Guy," which opens in China on May 17.

A photo shows actors, from left, Ryan Gosling and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, with stunt actors Ben Jenkin, Logan Holladay and Justin Eaton, posing with director David Leitch on the set of "The Fall Guy." [Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures]

Leitch, who started his career as a stuntman, made this movie to pay homage to the unsung heroes behind the scenes. "The Fall Guy," starring Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, is loosely based on the 1980s TV series about stunt performers of the same name. The film follows Colt Seavers, a stuntman working on his ex-girlfriend's directorial debut sci-fi action film, who finds himself involved in a conspiracy surrounding the film's lead actor.

Leitch candidly admitted that he is a fan of Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee and the Shaw Brothers Studio, which produced many martial arts movies. The director also acknowledged his debt to kung fu legend and choreographer Yuen Woo-ping, from whom he learned a great deal while working with on "The Matrix."

And Jackie Chan, Leitch said, is his biggest influence. "Actually, I had a Jackie Chan clip tape that I watched over and over again," he said. "Jackie was a huge inspiration for me to become a stunt performer. He is a legendary figure, not only as a stunt performer but also as a filmmaker, and he studied under the classics, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Charlie Chaplin, from the beginning of cinema. He is sort of the master of nonverbal storytelling with action, whether it's drama or comedy."

Leitch noted that watching Chan's career evolve from a stuntman to a director to a prolific producer has been inspiration for him. "I think the tone of 'The Fall Guy' really aligns with Jackie's sensibilities. It's a lot of fun for the audience. We're putting our main protagonist in a lot of peril, and we're watching him fight his way through it. And Colt, just like a lot of Jackie's classic characters, is an everyman who is fighting against the bigger bad. We get to watch him overcome, not unlike Jackie's characters or Rocky in the 'Rocky' movies. He's definitely an underdog hero," he said.

An IMAX poster for "The Fall Guy." [Image courtesy of IMAX China]

"The Fall Guy" also represents a milestone in the industry as it marks the first time the Screen Actors Guild and the Directors Guild of America have recognized the role of "stunt designer." This credit will make its debut in the film, with Chris O'Hara, a veteran stunt coordinator, second unit director and president of Stunts Unlimited, being the recipient of this inaugural film credit.

"This movie is really personal for me, because I have been a stunt performer for over 20 years," Leitch said. "I have many stunt brothers and sisters in the industry, all over the world. I've worked all over the world. It's important that we did justice to the movie and really portrayed that world with reverence, fun, and the energy that they have as people. Because it's something so near and dear to us. It's really a tribute to the crew, the stunt performers and all the behind-the-scenes heroes who make the cinema that we love so much."

The making of "The Fall Guy" attracted the best in the stunt performer family, including stunt driver Logan Holladay, who achieved a Guinness World Record for executing eight and a half cannon rolls in a modified Jeep Grand Cherokee while doubling for Gosling in the film. 

At the Beijing premiere on May 7, Leitch acknowledged his long-time collaborator, Chinese choreographer Sun Nuo, for his contribution as the fight coordinator in "The Fall Guy." Sun, a Beijing native and veteran action designer who has been integrating Chinese kung fu into many international blockbusters for years, designed high-energy action sequences for the film. These include a thrilling scene featuring Gosling's character being dragged in an extended chase through Sydney in a garbage truck, a sequence that required the synchronized efforts of 50 stunt drivers to film.

Director David Leitch and his wife and producer Kelly McCormick speak to the audience via video link at the Chinese premiere of "The Fall Guy" in an IMAX theater in Beijing, May 7, 2024. [Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures] 

Besides being an action comedy, "The Fall Guy" is also "a love bomb," as David Leitch called it. He and his wife and production partner, Kelly McCormick have a romance that sort of mirrors the romantic storyline in "The Fall Guy."

"As we are a couple and we are filmmakers, we made this film with a lot of love for our audience as well as for each other," McCormick said. "In my opinion, it's honestly more romantic than it is an action movie. I think that everyone will be saying 'I love you' at the end of the movie to each other and hopefully to the world."

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