In a heart-stopping display of precision and skill, Logan Holladay, stunt driver for Oscar® nominee Ryan Gosling’s character in Universal Pictures’ new 87North film, The Fall Guy, shattered the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for most cannon rolls in a car, achieving an astonishing eight and a half rolls during the film’s 2022 production on the beaches of Sydney, Australia.
This groundbreaking feat in blockbuster director David Leitch’s latest film surpassed the previous record held by stuntman Adam Kirley, who achieved seven cannon rolls during the filming of 2006’s Casino Royale.
The cannon roll, a classic stunt dating back to the early days of cinema, involves fitting a cannon-like apparatus beneath a car that shoots toward the ground. As the vehicle reaches a designated speed, the mechanism triggers and propels the car into a series of rolls. Holladay executed the stunt behind the wheel of a modified Jeep Grand Cherokee fitted with an external fiberglass body.
The Fall Guy, inspired by the 1980’s hit TV series of the same name, was shot in Sydney and is directed by filmmaker and former stunt performer Leitch, whose company, 87North Productions, is synonymous with adrenaline-fueled action in films such as Bullet Train, Deadpool 2 and Atomic Blonde.
The film, which stars Gosling as a stuntman and Emily Blunt as a film director, pays homage to the unsung heroes of the stunt community. Thus, the production prioritized practical stunts. “With The Fall Guy, I’m honoring my roots as a stunt performer,” Leitch says. “We wanted to deliver action that was true to the spirit of the stunt community by incorporating techniques that have become somewhat of a lost art.
The cannon roll is a classic stunt and was a must-have for this film. And since we were making a movie that honors the work of stunt performers, we didn’t just set out to achieve the cannon roll; we set out to break records and make a statement. Logan executed it flawlessly and showcased why he’s a standout in the stunt community.”
The Fall Guy releases in Australian cinemas April 24, 2024.
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