Production designer Ethan Tobman decodes the video game-inspired world of Ryan Reynolds’ new movie, which is now in theaters and remixing everything from Marvel movies to Fortnite. Here’s what you may have missed.
The new movie Free Guy stars Ryan Reynolds as a non-player character (NPC) in a massively multiplayer online game who gains consciousness after falling in love with Millie, played by Jodie Comer. As one would expect, the movie is loaded with references, snuck into the background of the Free Guy’s unfolding world and narrative, as well as cameo appearances by notable gaming streamers including Jacksepticeye and Ninja. While games like Fortnite and Grand Theft Auto might be obvious points of reference in the visual design of Free Guy’s fictitious world, production designer Ethan Tobman says games like SimCity and Red Dead Redemption 2 inspired him the most during the film’s production. “Of course GTA is a huge inspiration thematically. It’s a photorealistic city; there are tons of violence [and] little bits of satire and commentary on urban America falling apart, but for me, it’s games like Red Dead Redemption or Red Dead Redemption 2 that were inspired by movies, and are now inspiring movies themselves. ” To build out the world, Tobman and his team looked to famous architecture, in particular the idyllic virtual world seen in Free Guy ’s final moments. “We wanted to avoid anything post-apocalyptic and instead ask, what would a city look like from Millie’s perspective?” According to Tobman, the answer was a city inspired by real world architects like Zaha Hadid, Diller Scofidio, and Renzo Piano; a world that looked as if the city grew out of itself and was entirely self-sustaining.
