2021's Free Guy was an unexpected box office success, especially given the inconsistency of theatrical releases that year. The film, directed by Stranger Things' Shawn Levy, starred Ryan Reynolds as an NPC named Guy. Guy discovers his own agency after finding the girl of his dreams and goes on a whacky yet highly entertaining journey throughout Free City.
Free Guy's inclusion of popular streamers and Reynold's popularity definitely boosted viewership for the film, which was a top ten earner in 2021. However, its tenth position doesn't do justice to the film's real success. The film grossed over $300 million worldwide, but other metrics make this number and earnings ranking an especially impressive accomplishment.
Why Free Guy's #10 Box Office Spot Is So Impressive
Being the 10th highest-grossing movie of 2021 is impressive for Free Guy for several reasons. First, it was the only film in the top ten that was an original IP. In fact, Free Guy is the only top-10 earner in either 2021 or 2022 not to be part of an existing franchise like the MCU.
Furthermore, Free Guy shows a slightly different side of Ryan Reynolds, who tends to play a specific character in many of his movies. Guy is a bit more wholesome than many Reynolds characters, and so it risked losing some draw from the Reynolds-loyal. The role clearly worked for him, though, and the film likely inspired confidence in Reynolds for more diverse roles moving forward.
Why Free Guy Might Have Cheated To Get That Spot
Despite being an original IP, Free Guy had many benefits of an established franchise working for it. Given how popular the actor is, Ryan Reynolds can be considered a franchise of his own. Not to mention, the film was released by Disney, who owns many of the current highest-grossing IPs like Marvel and Star Wars. Added in is the popularity of Reynold's portrayal of the widely popular Marvel character, Deadpool. Deadpool is set to enter MCU but was a part of 20th Century Studios, the same studio responsible for Free Guy, which seemingly assured its success.
Free Guy was also able to capitalize on its success by embracing the gaming community. Twitch and Facebook gaming saw a huge surge in viewership during the pandemic, with everyone stuck at home. Since then, there has been a rise in gaming crossovers to the big and small screen, with examples such as The Witcher, Last of Us already airing and a God of War series in the pipeline. Free Guy's success may serve as an example for studios who are looking to invest in original IPs in the post-pandemic era.