Free Guy director Shawn Levy explains why his new video game comedy will make people care about (and relate to) NPCs. This December will see Ryan Reynolds play a new kind of hero: A normal, everyday bank teller. However, Reynolds' Guy has a twist: He's a non-playable character in a video game. For those less familiar with the virtual world, this means he's essentially a background character who frequently gets beat up and held hostage. When he learns the truth behind his existence, Guy finds himself on an action-packed journey of self-empowerment and discovery. Free Guy also stars Jodie Comer, Joe Keery, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Lil Rel Howery, and Taika Waititi.
Free Guy was originally planned for release in July of this year, but the coronavirus pandemic delayed it to December. However, with the current state of movie theaters being rather dire, it's still hard to say whether it will actually arrive on time. Reynolds and the cast of Free Guy even acknowledged this in a pointed teaser just yesterday. Luckily, however, it seems that regardless of when it actually debuts in theaters, Free Guy will contain themes that resonate with all audiences, even if they aren't video game aficionados.
During a virtual press conference for Free Guy last month, Levy spoke about how the wild comedy can actually hold a great deal of significance for everybody. At his core as an NPC, Guy isn't supposed to have a lot of depth to him, leaving it up to Levy, Reynolds, and the rest to find the humanity in him. In doing so, Levy explained, they found Free Guy's biggest, most universal message:
It's like all of us have felt stuck in a loop, and all of us have felt like a background character in someone else's story. And this idea of, like, stop living in the background, or notice the person in the background. Empathize with the person in the background. That's a big part of the themes that play in this movie, and while they're called NPCs, non-player characters and it's set in a video game, the movie is really not about video games as much as it is about being a person in the world and how you choose to live.
Levy's point is particularly interesting because, on its surface, Free Guy feels like a typical action comedy that might not hold much for viewers who aren't particularly intrigued by those genres. However, there's a deeper message in Free Guy that can resonate with just about everyone: It's normal to feel caught in a loop, and, sometimes, it's worthwhile to notice those in the background. Plus, it seems likely that this message can give some hints about Guy's own journey through the game as he discovers his own personality.
Reynolds has previously spoken about how Free Guy is his favorite movie he's ever done, which is quite the endorsement. As a wholly original story, Free Guy doesn't have a built-in audience who will eagerly flock to the film. However, between Reynolds' positive words and its highly relatable message, Free Guy could very well win over viewers when it arrives in theaters. Maybe this time, the background guy can win big.
Source: Free Guy Press Conference
