The hit 20th Century Studios release “Free Guy” arrived on multiple streaming services this week, but fans just catching up to the inventive blockbuster will have to be patient while waiting for a sequel.
“Free Guy” director Shawn Levy and star Ryan Reynolds gave an update on a potential sequel this week, and noted that while Disney and 20th Century Studios are eager to make “Free Guy 2” happen, the filmmakers are not willing to rush the follow-up before it’s ready.
“We loved ‘Free Guy’,” Levy told Collider. “We were thrilled that ‘Free Guy’ was as successful as it was, and particularly as an original movie at a time where few get made and even fewer are hits. So that was gratifying. And if we can crack that sequel, that’s something that might be very fun to make together.”
Reynolds noted with regards to the multiple projects he and Levy are developing together that they’ve both been in situations where projects were rushed into production before the script was ready. “For us, it’s mostly just about getting the story is right, the script is right before you go to camera because that’s everything. We both know that it’s a slippery slope heading into physical production before something’s truly ready.”
The two most recently reunited on the original sci-fi film “The Adam Project,” which hits Netflix in March.
Levy admitted that he’s gotten multiple calls from Disney asking about “Free Guy 2,” but pointed to the development of the first film as the roadmap to making a successful sequel. “I’ve gotten a few of those [calls] in the past several months,” Levy told Collider. “So there is definitely real interest there. But to Ryan’s point, we knew. We had such a clear idea of the tone, the story, the details of ‘Free Guy,’ and we both made a few sequels in our lives, and so we know how hard it is to make a worthy one. And when we feel confident that’s the kind we’ll make, then we’ll make it.”
“Free Guy” was a bona fide crossover hit when it opened exclusively in theaters last summer, telling the story of a Non-Playable Character in a “Sims”-like game who suddenly gains consciousness and begins to think for himself. The film grossed over $330 million at the worldwide box office, and in August Reynolds confirmed Disney was already asking for a sequel.
“Free Guy” is currently streaming on Disney+ and HBO Max, and is available for purchase.
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