20th Century Studios dropped their new trailer for the action-comedy Free Guy, and it could either be a fresh and original blockbuster or a well-intentioned misfire. It stars Ryan Reynolds as a man who discovers he’s a video game character. The film is directed by Shawn Levy and co-written by Zak Penn and Matt Lieberman.
The trailer implies a violent, high-wired combination of The Truman Show, Wreck-it-Ralph and Gamer and could offer something great if all goes well. If it gets an R-rating, this would be new territory for director Levy, who has mostly specialized in family-oriented films like Night at the Museum and Real Steel.Â
Given that the trailer highlights Reynolds’ Deadpool, I’d imagine this won’t be a family outing. Check it out:
Free Guy Official Trailer
Free Guy could go either way, but the trailer has me leaning more positive. Reynolds seems to be doing his fast-talking everyman persona, while the action looks appropriately video-gamey and the trailer song fits the mood perfectly. As someone who enjoys video games more for enjoyment, I hope the film fully commits to its wacky premise and marries the rules of an open-world game with those of a three-act narrative.
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Video game-based movies have always faced an uphill battle attracting general audiences, but the recent successes of Sonic The Hedgehog, Detective Pikachu, and the Wreak-it-Ralph franchise suggest that those beyond the gaming community are starting to embrace them. Free Guy could easily crash and burn if the script isn’t up to par, but based on the marketing materials and production team, I’m optimistic right now.
Free Guy stars Ryan Reynolds, Jodie Comer, Joe Keery, Lil Rel Howery, Utkarsh Ambudkar, and Taika Waititi and is directed by Shawn Levy with a screenplay by Zak Penn and Matt Lieberman. As of this writing, the film is scheduled for a theatrical release on December 11, 2020. Are you excited to level up with Free Guy? Let us know in the comments below or on our Twitter.
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Source: Io9