Emily Blunt says her Fall Guy character is loosely based on Barbie director Greta Gerwig

In upcoming action comedy The Fall Guy, Emily Blunt plays a director named Jody Moreno, whose leading man has gone missing. Enter Ryan Gosling's stunt performer, Colt Seavers, to try and find him – the catch is, Colt just so happens to be Jody's ex. 

"Emily's role was a make-up artist when we sold it, and we converted it to first-time directing right before we gave her a very rough draft," Kelly McCormick, producing partner and wife of director David Leitch,tells Total Film in our new issue out on Thursday March 28, which features The Fall Guy on the cover. "It made it feel like [the character] had more pressure on her."

As Blunt explains, she also had input on her character. "We all kind of built her together, because I think, maybe in the original script, she was quite severe, and that sort of tough director," she says, speaking to Total Film from Austria in the week leading up to the Oscars. "But I think, for me, it's always more interesting to play someone who's in a situation where they're way over their head." 

Blunt also says that the character is loosely inspired by Barbie director Greta Gerwig. "With the warmth and the charm, I guess there's a little Greta in there," she says. "She was a mix of a few other people I'd met and pulled from."

• Pre-order The Fall Guy issue of Total Film

The Fall Guy is released on May 2. And you can read more about it and a whole lot else besides in the new issue of Total Film when it hits shelves and digital newsstands on Thursday, March 28.

Check out the covers below:

Pre-order the issue here to bag your copy, or click here to subscribe to Total Film and never miss another exclusive. You’ll get every issue before it's in stores, and you’ll get subscriber-exclusive covers. 

For more, check out our guide to this year's upcoming major movie release dates.