“The Fall Guy” director David Leitch stopped at Monday’s episode of “Smartless” podcast and discussed a small change, a change in the title to be exact, as convinced Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to finally add a stunt category the annual Academy Awards.
Hosts Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett were quick to congratulate Leitch, who started as a stuntman himself on films such as “Fight Club”, to lead the accusation of stunt work that would be recognized at Oscars. The category comes into force in 2027 at the 100th annual Academy Awards.
“Look, it’s been a long journey,” Leitch said about the process. “For 20 plus years in the academy, there have been many stunt coordinators who worked with it – Jack Gill, Gregg SMRz, Melissa – there have been many people who tried to move the needle.”
Leitch went on to discuss how after doing “The Fall Guy” they felt they had just done a “gigantic advertising” for why there should be an Oscar price for stunts. “I just went in with Kelly, my wife and producing partner, we went in to talk to the academy about what has been the stumbles.”
The director detailed other recently added categories such as Achievement in Casting (which started with the 98th annual ceremony 2025) and asked Point Blank how the stunt community could have the award pressed through the roadblocks who had stopped them.
“There was a huge amount of support in the academy and they said:” Listen that we have a roadmap to follow and there has only been some kind of lack of clarity. “So, Kelly and I went on the road to try to reclassify what we asked for.”
Then Leitch used his then movie “The Fall Guy” to finally move the needle for the academy that led to their final vote on the new stunt category.
“The academy obviously has this legacy to honor design, such as production design, costume design,” Leitch continued. “And I think that when people think of stunts are the ones as” what should you give the award to the artist? Or will you give the award to the person who rigged the stunt? “And it’s like no, we will give it to stunt coordinator, the department manager.”
“The tradition is that you give it to the designer so we redirected our credit on ‘The Fall Guy’, this was Kelly’s idea, to stunt designer,” the director said. By changing Chris O ‘Hara’s title, approved by both Director Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild, Leitch crossed “First Bridge” to drive recognition for stunt artists at Oscars through.
Although the award does not come into force for another two years, it denies that the recognition was too long delayed, a feeling that was recalled by Arnett, Hayes and Bateman. Leitch also expressed his excitement for the award.
“It is too long dilapidated, and I was happy to be instrumental in academia like really getting to the zooms with all the governors I could and really can do it,” Leitch added. “For our final vote, I gathered a video presentation with many director friends, celebrity friends … they were really advocates for it.”
The Oscar Prize for performance in the Stunt Design category that will be introduced to celebrate films released in 2027.
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