Free Guy may have been delayed in the wake of the ongoing coronavirus that’s reshaping the world and global outlooks as I write this but Ryan Reynolds is fairly confident it’s the right movie for a post-Covid world. Director Shawn Levy also echoes similar themes, suggesting the film has a heart and warmth to it that will be sorely in-demand once we come out of crisis mode.
Reynolds emphasizes thet he’s jittery about come across as someone who’s using the coronavirus pandemic to promote this movie, before explaining that the negativity and fear propagated in the wake of the pandemic has left him wanting a more positive sense of entertainment. He reiterates it’s something he’s been feeling for a while, which is kind of what attracted him to the script in the first place.
I shudder to think that I would be as big of a thundercunt to use a colossal global pandemic as a sort of means to find a valuable foothold for my movie. But I did notice that well before any of this shit happened that I was already looking for entertainment outside of the norm for me. I mean, the world feels very hostile, very cynical and very scary. So I found myself looking for entertainment that made me feel better, left me walking out of a movie theater where I’m walking on sunshine, instead of, you know, wondering how I might drink myself to sleep or something.
This is a far cry from the kind of film Reynolds has done with Deadpool or perhaps even 6 Underground. However, Reynolds is quick to clarify that having a more positive outlook doesn’t imply the film will be soft.
The absence of cynicism doesn’t equate to softness. It’s not soft, it’s got edge, but yeah, I was looking for something that leaves people with just a gigantic grin on their face.
Throughout the interview, especially toward the conclusion, multiple cast members explain why they feel Free Guy is the movie the world needs right now. Director Shawn Levy states that Guy’s predicament of being trapped in a game and a situation over which he has no control, strongly echoes current world sentiment shared across by people who are quarantined in their own homes, with the world going crazy, and none of it under their power.
We always felt like this might be a movie of the moment because even before the coronavirus, we all looked at this polarised, heavily politicised world and I think all of us have felt powerless in the face of a world that is very dissatisfying. Post-Covid, I think that this movie is more timely than ever because it’s really a metaphor for: how can you have power over your own situation?
Jodie Comer, who dorns multiple accents in the movie, shares a similar sentiment, stating that people will only enjoy it more after what the world has been through.
I think people will probably have much more of a connection to it now. It’s got so much heart to it, it’s going to give people a sense of joy.
Utkarsh Ambudkar, the South-Asian actor who landed a role as one of the programmers of the game, also shares Comer’s feelings, expressing hope that the film will provide some fine bit of escapism.
The current social and medical challenges we’re facing… I really hope it gives people a little bit of respite and escape.
The interview circles back to Reynols who concludes once again, rephrasing his earleir words and explaining in more detail why he feels audiences should embrace this movie more than anything once things resume.
This movie is just an utter fastball of joy, which is something I think the world could use a little bit more of right now. I do think that this is a movie I hope audiences embrace and love the way we do, because it’s optimistic – and I think that there’s value in optimism right now. It leaves you feeling great. And that, to me, is worth everything these days.
Free Guy is set for a December 11, 2020 release so it looks like people are going to have to wait until they can experience the warmth offered by this movie. Meanwhile, how about going through some stills to whet your appetite.
