How The Fall Guy Rolled a Car 8 and a Half Times in Wild Stunt That Broke a Guinness World Record

Given that David Leitch's The Fall Guy is meant to be an unabashed love letter to the stunt community, it only seems fitting that the movie (hitting theaters May 3) would set an exciting new milestone for Hollywood's death-defying experts.

That's exactly what happened during the movie's production on the beaches of Sydney, Australia when stunt driver Logan Holladay (standing in for lead star, Ryan Gosling) broke a Guinness World Record with a total of eight and a half cannon rolls in a modified Jeep Grand Cherokee fitted with an external fiberglass body. The previous record was held by stuntman Adam Kirley, who netted seven rolls on the set of Casino Royale nearly two decades ago.

One of the oldest stunts in the filmmaking playbook, the cannon roll is achieved by placing a cannon-like mechanism under a car. When the driver reaches a certain speed, the device detonates, sending the vehicle into a series of rolls. Quite a dangerous feat, but one that also requires plenty of coordination between departments to ensure the safest outcome possible. In the case of The Fall Guy, extensive research, tests, experiments, and adjustments were carried out before Holladay even got behind the wheel.

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“With The Fall Guy, I’m honoring my roots as a stunt performer,” Leitch said in a statement. “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.”

Ryan Gosling Action-Comedy The Fall Guy Sets New World Record

“Growing up, my dad was a stuntman, so the influence of film sets and the world of stunts was always there,” Holladay added. “When I learned about The Fall Guy going into production, I knew I had to be part of it. As for the cannon rolls, after two practice runs and one real take, we had one car and one shot left. And after I hit the eight and a half rolls, I had a pretty good feeling that I had broken the record because it felt like the spinning was never going to stop. It was a surreal moment and I’m incredibly proud of what the team achieved."

Leitch and Gosling presented Holladay with the honor this week at a special screening of the movie in Los Angeles. The event was live-streamed to theaters in New York, Atlanta, and Miami.

What is The Fall Guy About?

Loosely based on the television series of the same name that ran from 1981 to 1986, The Fall Guy centers around Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling), a retired Hollywood stuntman who reluctantly returns to the industry when the blockbuster production helmed by his ex-girlfriend, Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt), runs the risk of following apart when her lead actor, Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), suddenly goes missing. What Colt doesn't know, is that he's just stepped into a criminal conspiracy more dangerous than any film set.

Winston Duke (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever), Hannah Waddingham (Hocus Pocus 2), and Stephanie Hsu (Everything Everywhere All at Once) round out the prinicipal cast.

When Does The Fall Guy Open in Theaters?

The Fall Guy will officially hit the big screen Friday, May 3. Following its world premiere at SXSW, the movie currently holds a super-fresh rating of 90% on Rotten Tomatoes. Tickets are now on sale right here!

Drew Pearce — who previously worked with David Leitch on Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw — wrote the screenplay and is an executive producer with Geoff Shaevitz and the late Glen A. Larson. Leitch and his wife, Kelly McCormick, produced the film under their 87North banner. Gosling and Guymon Casady are also producers.