Ryan Reynolds shot a grand total of 75 ads for Free Guy. In a summer movie season unlike any other, Free Guy has emerged as Hollywood's surprising hero. The movie, which stars Reynolds as a video game NPC who learns the truth about his world and embarks on a wild adventure, was delayed from last year by the coronavirus pandemic. Even in normal times, its performance at the box office would be uncertain. However, after weeks of concern over consumers' confidence in movie theaters, Free Guy exceeded expectations in its debut and had the best second weekend hold of the entire pandemic. Its worldwide total stands at $113.4 million.
Free Guy was aided by positive reviews and a fun premise, but there's no doubt that Reynolds' involvement helped greatly. Reynolds has become a fan favorite actor, and he brought his hilarious public persona to the movie's marketing. From a series of funny cast promos to a video where Reynolds' Deadpool reacted to a Free Guy trailer alongside the MCU's Korg, the actor ensured the promotional efforts for this movie were anything but conventional.
It makes sense, then, for Reynolds to have had such an unusually large presence in the movie's ads. In a THR feature about Free Guy's marketing, it's said Reynolds shot about 75 promos for the movie. The typical number for a lead actor is between 10 and 15, which just shows how much of an effort Reynolds put into this. He did so to set a variety of tones for different situations. "I think people would presume that to be kinda frustrating, but I love marketing," Reynolds said. "It’s more opportunity for storytelling, more opportunity to play with culture and mess with expectation."
Between Free Guy and the Deadpool movies, Reynolds has proven himself to be a master at marketing. These days, it can be hard to get audiences' attention for new movies, particularly when it isn't based on any existing properties. Just having a big name star in the lead role isn't enough, but as Reynolds has shown, if they really integrate themselves into a movie's promotion, it can help increase buzz. For example, the Deadpool video was a major success and brought Free Guy some extra press.
Free Guy has become such a success, Reynolds confirmed Disney is already interested in a sequel. Free Guy 2 hasn't been greenlit, but there definitely seems to be an audience for more adventures set within the movie's world. Reynolds has put his heart and soul into Free Guy, so it's safe to say he'll return if he can. If it happens, fans can expect more hilarious promotional videos. With Deadpool 3 also in the works, audiences just might be seeing a lot more of Reynolds' unique marketing strategies.
Source: THR