While The Fall Guy debuted to a positive reception, its box office troubles confirm a harsh reality following a $2.4 billion phenomenon. Emily Blunt and Ryan Gosling’s action comedy has been a critical success, but despite the strong reviews, the movie has struggled financially. The Fall Guy flopped at the box office during its opening weekend, earning just $28.5 million domestically. So far, the movie has earned back around half its budget, suggesting The Fall Guy isn’t on course to profit, and it will need a huge turnaround to have any chance of finding financial success.

Considering both critics and audiences are enjoying the movie, the box office struggles will come as a massive disappointment, especially after 2023’s $2.4 billion event. The movie is based on a TV show from the 1980s, but other than this, The Fall Guy has no real franchise ties to draw people in. However, last year’s phenomenon did look like it could amass a big audience for the film thanks to Gosling and Blunt’s involvement. Unfortunately, The Fall Guy‘s box office falling well below its budget sets it up for failure, proving one harsh reality in the process.

The Fall Guy’s Box Office Outlook Was Promising After Barbenheimer’s 2023 Dominance

Ryan Gosling & Emily Blunt’s Involvement In The Fall Guy Was Encouraging After Barbenheimer

Barbenheimer’s 2023 dominance indicated that The Fall Guy would financially capitalize on Emily Blunt and Ryan Gosling’s momentum. Barbie and Oppenheimer were two of the highest-grossing movies of 2023, with Gosling starring in Barbie and Blunt starring in Oppenheimer. Although neither played the central character, Gosling was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Ken in Barbie, with Blunt being nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Kitty in Oppenheimer. Given both films are among the highest-grossing movies of the 2020s alongside Blunt and Gosling having fantastic performances, their collaboration seemed incredibly promising.

The Barbenheimer phenomenon meant both movies benefited from each other while also having a small rivalry. This created plenty of memes which Blunt and Gosling even played up at the Oscars, proving the duo had tremendous chemistry. With Barbenheimer having $2.4 billion worth of success, it seemed like marketing for The Fall Guy would be pretty simple and instantly win audiences over by including two of 2023’s biggest stars. Unfortunately, the film’s underwhelming box office performance proved this wasn’t the case and while The Fall Guy still delivered critically, it wasn’t the box office hit Barbenheimer suggested it could be.

Barbie & Oppenheimer Didn’t Turn Ryan Gosling & Emily Blunt Into Box Office Stars

Blunt & Gosling Couldn’t Save The Fall Guy From A Disappointing Box Office

Although Barbie and Oppenheimer undoubtedly raised Gosling and Blunt’s reputation, it didn’t turn them into box office stars. Their Oscar nominations reinforced that they are both great actors, even when playing such different roles, but despite their acting quality, they aren’t enough to carry a movie’s box office on their own. They were both a critical part of Barbie and Oppenheimer‘s success, but clearly weren’t the key reason, as The Fall Guy has proven. The film’s reviews confirm they are both excellent actors, yet the box office is a reminder that they aren’t huge box office draws.

Despite talks of a sequel, The Fall Guy won’t be Gosling’s next big action franchise unless there is a dramatic box office shift. Given that it isn’t part of a larger series, The Fall Guy relied heavily on Blunt and Gosling’s name value carrying its box office following their Barbenheimer success. However, this strategy clearly didn’t work as the film is on course to make a substantial loss. Gosling and Blunt may help the movie gross over $100 million, proving they still have some level of star power, but without a greater marketing plan, The Fall Guy always faced trouble.

The Fall Guy’s Struggles Won’t Hurt Gosling & Blunt’s Momentum

Ryan Gosling & Emily Blunt Still Have Plenty Of Exciting Projects In The Works

Although the financial performance hasn’t been great for The Fall Guy , its reviews are still really strong, which is far more important for Blunt and Gosling.

The Fall Guy‘s box office difficulties are unfortunate, but they won’t hurt Blunt and Gosling’s momentum. Although the financial performance hasn’t been great for The Fall Guy, its reviews are still really strong, which is far more important for Blunt and Gosling. Their chemistry is a huge part of what makes the film so good, and the fact that their performances stand out proves that they are still carrying forward their momentum from last year. Even if the movie ends up being a box office bomb, Blunt and Gosling’s stock won’t take a major blow.

Without such a charismatic leading duo, The Fall Guy would have struggled more as Blunt and Gosling are the highlight of the movie. Putting in quality performances is far more important for their careers than achieving a good box office, and both actors already have other projects lined up. Their upcoming movies will no doubt continue their great momentum while offering them another opportunity to prove their box office capabilities. Given Gosling and Blunt are clearly both still in demand, The Fall Guy‘s great reviews will be more positive than negative for them, despite the film’s box office struggles.