Though many studios have adapted video games to the big screen, most of these don't turn out so great. However, 20th Century Fox recently dropped a trailer for a new movie called Free Guy, starring Ryan Reynolds as an NPC in a video game world who gains sentience.
Already this adventure-comedy is gaining a lot of buzz, and what's most impressive is that Free Guy isn't based on any previous video game franchise. Though it does borrow many elements from video games like Grand Theft Auto Online, it is still an original film.
Free Guy's trailer released during the film's CCXP panel (and was preceded by a hilarious video that was released yesterday), revealing Ryan Reynolds as an ordinary bank teller who finds out he's actually living in an open-world video game. The film is directed by Shawn Levy (Cheaper by the Dozen, Stranger Things) and written by Matt Lieberman (The Christmas Chronicles, Scoob!), which should make for an interesting combination of sci-fi comedy-adventure. The trailer also reveals that the film will premiere July 2020, right in the middle of the summer blockbuster season.
The Free Guy trailer reveals Reynolds as Guy, an NPC in a video game named Free City. One day this mild-mannered NPC gains sentience and fights back against the players, discovering that his world is actually a video game. On his adventure he meets an avatar of a real person (played by Comer) who helps explain how the game works, and together they embark on an adventure to save Guy's world.
While Free Guy is an original story, it does seem to heavily borrow elements from Grand Theft Auto Online (online multiplayer, open-world city, players pulling heists and other crimes), as well as taking a few things from Fortnite (dancing, cuddly bunny suits). Quite a few gamers have noticed the similarities, even dubbing Free Guy the unofficial Grand Theft Auto movie.
Despite these similarities, most fans are just excited to see Ryan Reynolds be a funny and charming badass again. Reynolds is no stranger to video game movies (like the memetastic Detective Pikachu) or over-the-top action (Deadpool), so this film seems perfectly suited for him. Joining him in the cast are Jodie Comer (Killing Eve, My Mad Fat Diary), Lil Rel Howery (The Carmichael Show, Get Out) and Joe Keery (Stranger Things). Director Levy and most of the film's cast appeared at New York Comic Con 2019, where they unveiled the Free Guy movie poster and a video to build up hype for the movie. The movie's first teaser also appeared this weekend at Comic Con Experience at Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Free Guy releases in theaters July 3rd, 2020.
Source: 20th Century Fox/YouTube