The Fall Guy, coming to theaters on May 3, starring Ryan Gosling as the much-loved “Colt Seavers,” has already broken records before the movie crashes into the box office. Universal Pictures have announced this week that during production of the movie back in 2022, Gosling’s stunt driver, Logan Holladay, shattered a Guinness World Record.
In a heart pounding exhibition of control and skill, Holladay set a new Guinness World Record for most cannon rolls performed while driving in a car, achieving an astonishing eight and a half rolls during the film’s shoot in Sydney, Australia. This groundbreaking feat, achieved as part of the production of director David Leitch’s action-comedy movie version of The Fall Guy, has surpassed the previous record of seven cannon rolls held by stuntman Adam Kirley, earned during the making of 2006’s Casino Royale.
‘The Fall Guy’ Goes From Camera Roll to Cannon Rolls With New Guinness Record
The cannon roll is a classic stunt that dates back to the early days of cinema and involves the fitting of a cannon-like apparatus, beneath the car, to shoot toward the ground. When the traveling vehicle reaches a designated speed, the undercarriage mechanism triggers and then propels the car into a series of rolls. Holladay was able to successfully execute the stunt behind the wheel of a modified Jeep Grand Cherokee that had been fitted with an external fiberglass body. Completing the record took two cars, since the first one was beaten up in the first take. “I know I did a lot of rolls, I had no idea how many,” said Holladay in a YouTube featurette released as proof of the successful stunt. “But I had a pretty good feeling that we did it.”
The Fall Guy, inspired by the 1980’s hit TV series of the same name starring Lee Majors, appears to be in safe hands since it is directed by former stunt performer; David Leitch. His production company, 87North Productions, is synonymous with high octane action films such as Bullet Train, Deadpool 2 and Atomic Blonde. The Fall Guy stars Ryan Gosling as the iconic stuntman and Emily Blunt as film director; “Jody Moreno”, and pays homage to the unsung heroes of the stunt community. To that end, the production prioritized practical stunts over CGI.
“With The Fall Guy, I’m honoring my roots as a stunt performer,” Leitch said in a press release announcing the astonishing new record. “We wanted to deliver action that was true to the spirit of the stunt community by incorporating techniques that have become somewhat of a lost art. The cannon roll is a classic stunt and was a must-have for this film. And since we were making a movie that honors the work of stunt performers, we didn’t just set out to achieve the cannon roll; we set out to break records and make a statement. Logan executed it flawlessly and showcased why he’s a standout in the stunt community.”
The Fall Guy speeds into cinemas May 3.