The press tour for “The Fall Guy” had its stars championing the film’s crew, particularly its stuntpeople, for helping create jaw-dropping spectacle in Doug Leitch‘s latest. But Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt & co. also called for the AMPAS and the Oscars to recognize the feats of stuntmen and women, too: with a stunt category at the annual awards series. It’s a common argument, with others including “John Wick” mastermind Chad Stahelski calling for something similar, but now it appears the Academy may be listening.
And if what Empire reports is true, it’s about time: about a century-plus late, by most people’s calculations. The outlet sat down with the Academy heads at the Cannes Film Festival last month to discuss a potential stunt Oscar, and CEO Bill Kramer and President Janet Yang had affirmative responses. “We’re talking to members of the stunt community who are Academy members about the possibility of that,” Kramer told Empire. “We added a new award that will launch in two years for Casting Directors,” he continued, “so we’re always open to those discussions.”
As for Yang, she said a stunt category at the Oscars would be a natural evolution. “The Academy is like a living, breathing organism,” she said. “We listen to our members, and if there’s really strong support and there’s whole mechanisms for how to advance the cause, and they’re interested… That’s what happened with Casting. We’ve created new branches over the decades. So it does evolve, and it evolves with the changing industry.”
Of course, neither Kramer nor Yang’s comments confirm a Best Stunt Oscar is in the pipeline, but at least it shows that AMPAS is listening. And is the Academy is willing to have a conversation, it would make “John Wick” director Stahelski overjoyed. “I think honestly, if I could get together with the Academy today and we could all sit down, I don’t think I’d find a single person that would argue or at least have a solid argument as to why stunts aren’t in the Oscars,” he told The Playlist in an interview last March. “I just think no one’s had the talk, somehow, we keep missing each other. If no one’s going to volunteer to start the conversation, I’ll volunteer. I’ll be the spokesperson. I’ll sit down. I’ll talk.”
So are stunt people one step closer to being represented at Hollywood’s biggest annual awards show? Let’s hope so, as their recognition as an integral part of filmmaking is long overdue.