Ryan Gosling is promoting his newest film “The Fall Guy,” which arrives in theaters on May 3, but he can’t escape one of his most beloved roles. And no, it’s not Ken in Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie.” It’s the private investigator Holland March of “The Nice Guys,” the action comedy in which he starred alongside Russell Crowe.
The movie wasn’t exactly a box-office success, it barely grossed $62 million against a $50 million budget, but it was critically acclaimed from the get-go and now it has become a cult-classic. In that sense, fans of the movie, which also stars Angourie Rice, haven’t stopped claiming for a sequel that hasn’t materialized yet.
Director Shane Black was always open for a follow-up but due to the lack of grossings, the project never came to fruition. And, now, Gosling is giving a disappointing reality check for those who still have faith that Hollywood could bring another action comedy with him and Crowe.
Ryan Gosling jokes that ‘Angry Birds’ destroyed ‘The Nice Guys’
Talking to Comicbook.com, Gosling got candid about the idea of making a “The Nice Guys” sequel: “So much of a sequel, I think, is decided by the opening weekend of a movie, and we opened up against Angry Birds,” Gosling said. “So Angry Birds just, just destroyed us. Angry Birds got a sequel.”
In truth, “Angry Birds” grossed $352 million worldwide, and got a 2019 sequel. Meanwhile, talking to Collider, Blunt revealed that she loved the film and said that Gosling did the “best drunk acting you’ve ever seen.” She also said that she would love to be a part of the sequel. “If Emily were in it, it would have happened,” Gosling added.
On the other hand, Black has shared that he did try to bring the Universe back but in a TV series. Per Comicbook.com, the director said in 2022 that they “caught the characters, but the plot was totally different. It was set in the present day, and no one wanted to buy it.”
Black also explained that ultimately it wouldn’t have worked as a series, because “TV tends to homogenize.” While The Nice Guys 2 seems distant, there’s an obvious interest in it. So, maybe, Warner Bros. would reconsider.