David Leitch on The Fall Guy Sequel: “That Would Be A Dream”
Here's the thing about Hollywood dreams—they're usually penciled in the margins of balance sheets. Last summer, David Leitch's The Fall Guy (released May 3, 2024) strutted into theaters with Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, and a wink to its '80s TV roots. It had charm, it had bruised knuckles, it had Gosling in full meta-stuntman mode. What it didn't have? Box office stamina.
The numbers tell the sobering part: a worldwide gross of $181 million against a production budget hovering around $130–150 million. And with today's marketing costs, that's a chasm. By industry rule, you'd need closer to $325 million just to breathe even. Leitch knows this. He's not sugarcoating. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, he called the idea of The Fall Guy 2 “a dream,” while admitting its future lives or dies on streaming traction.
“Ryan and us had early conversations and some treatments of where this is going,” Leitch said. “We had some really fun ideas. So who knows, maybe down the line it becomes one of those IPs that people want to revisit… That would be my dream, but if it doesn't, there's a lot of other stories to tell.”
The Sequel That Already Exists (On Paper)
Here's the kicker: a sequel script already exists. Gosling himself teased in 2024 that he and Leitch had drafted follow-ups exploring Colt and Jody's next phase. The characters practically wrote themselves forward, he claimed. And it makes sense—The Fall Guy ended like a pilot, not a finale.
But Hollywood doesn't greenlight on love alone. This is where the paradox creeps in: audiences liked the movie. Really liked it. The CinemaScore was an “A-,” critics gave it a solid 82% on Rotten Tomatoes, and the Popcornmeter pushed 84%. Gosling's chemistry with Blunt was playful, effortless. Yet that equation—positive reviews, loyal fans, mediocre financials—lands a film in the dreaded “cult maybe” category.
Gosling's Rollercoaster Career Context
If you zoom out, The Fall Guy isn't a shocking case study in Gosling's career. He's a master of respected underperformers. Denis Villeneuve's Blade Runner 2049 (2017)? Glorious, divisive, financially underwhelming. Damien Chazelle's First Man (2018)? Beautiful, restrained, a box office disappointment. Even Lars and the Real Girl (2007) made little noise theatrically but became beloved later.
And then you remember—this is the same man who danced in La La Land (2016), cried in The Notebook (2004), and shredded his abs as “just Ken” in Barbie (2023), which netted him an Oscar nomination. He contains multitudes. Box office doesn't define him. But franchises do need numbers, and Leitch can't pretend otherwise.
Streaming: The Last Lifeline
Could The Fall Guy 2 happen years down the line? Sure. Stranger resurrections have happened. (Hocus Pocus 2, anyone?) But right now, the math is brutal. Universal Pictures is unlikely to risk another $130 million unless the film builds a fan cult in streaming numbers and rentals. Smaller-scale sequel? Maybe. But for now, Leitch is playing realist: there are “a lot of other stories to tell.”
And that's where the ache sets in. Because while Hollywood will keep feeding IP machines that tested safe, movies like The Fall Guy—part action, part rom-com, part love letter to stunt performers—risk becoming footnotes instead of sagas. Gorgeous. Grating. Gorgeous again.
What We Learned from David Leitch on The Fall Guy 2
The sequel script exists
Gosling and Leitch already mapped out Colt and Jody's next chapter.
Box office killed momentum
With $181M worldwide against a $130M budget, the numbers just didn't work.
Fans and critics actually liked it
81–82% Rotten Tomatoes, “A-” CinemaScore, and warm audience scores aren't enough without profit.
Streaming is the only hope
Long-tail popularity on digital platforms could eventually revive interest.
Leitch is pragmatic
He'd love a sequel, but he knows Hollywood's math—other stories may come first.
Final Take
I want The Fall Guy 2 as much as anyone. I loved Gosling playing a man bruised for our entertainment, Blunt grounding him with deadpan brilliance, and Leitch staging action that reminded us stunt performers deserve the spotlight. But cinema isn't a meritocracy. It's an industry. And right now, this dream sequel belongs to the filing cabinet of “maybe someday.”
Would you sign up for another ride with Colt Seavers—even if it came with a leaner budget and straight-to-streaming release?
