The concept behind Free Guy was simple – a wish fulfillment tale about an average office guy aspiring to better things. Putting Guy (Ryan Reynolds) in an open world video game called Free City as a Non-Player Character (NPC) came later. In light of all his video game influences, screenwriter Matt Lieberman insisted, “This isn’t a video game movie, but rather, a story that takes place in a video game.” Lieberman knew he was going to create the world of Free City before he started writing the first draft.
Lieberman who wrote the original screenplay of Free Guy is no stranger to video games like Grand Theft Auto, whose influence permeated into his story. “These NPCs are so immersive and I can personally relate to them.”
Free Guy is a refreshing addition to our screens because it isn’t based on a pre-existing property. Lieberman has always defined himself as a high-concept writer and enjoys the originality it affords. “I’m always searching for the big idea… something I’ve never seen before.” He’s excited by subverting audience exceptions of an idea either through looking at a familiar concept in a different way or racking focus to draw attention to other parts of the story.
Matt Lieberman. Photo by Arturo Holmes/WireImage
This is especially true in Free Guy through its deliberate focus away from the main game characters. “What is it like to be a background (NPC) characters? How do they feel?” Ironically, they have their moment when they revolt and control Free City. This is the hook that excites the audience and invites them in.
Building Free City
A particular challenge of writing a screenplay set in a video game is setting the rules and parameters – especially in the anything goes world of Free City. Furthermore, it’s important not to allow these rules to constrict the story or hamstring the audience. “I think it’s important to start with as few rules as possible and concentrate on telling the best story,” said the screenwriter. “Once you decide on the best journey for the characters, you can start building out the world around that.” In a world as complex as Free City and the NPCs becoming self-aware and empowered, it’s easier to add rules than remove them. This is the beauty of Free Guy not being based on existing IP. “I’m not beholden to anything which lets the idea be what it wants to be.” The actors and directors can also tweak the world without offending the source material.
While building intricate worlds comes delivering chunks of exposition to the audience. “I try to put as little exposition as possible in the script. I do try to write a story that my mother who doesn’t play video games can follow,” he continued.
“You rapidly set up the concepts in Free City. For instance, a programmer can say that they’re coding an NPC and then describe them as a background player. I think people get that. Seeing a character like Millie (Jodie Comer) logging on and putting on her glasses to control her avatar Molotov Girl is enough.”
Test screenings highlighted the areas of the world that required further clarification to the audience.
Despite the easy comparisons to Ready Player One, Tron, Starfighter, and Grand Theft Auto, Lieberman insists that he didn’t have any specific video game movies in mind while outlining Free Guy. “The movies that were on my mind as I was writing Free Guy included The Truman Show and Groundhog Day,” he added. It was only after receiving industry feedback that parallels were drawn to Pixels, The Lego Movie and Wreck It Ralph, much to the screenwriter’s surprise.
Molotov Girl/ Mille (Jodie Comer) and Guy (Ryan Reynolds). Photo by Alan Markfield.
Zak Penn is the other credited writer on Free Guy. The two didn’t formally collaborate on the finished screenplay. They wrote separate drafts. Curiously, Lieberman collaborated with Ryan Reynolds (Guy) and Shawn Levy (director) on his draft. “Towards the end of the writing process, they brought on Zak Penn. He was a mensch. He gave depth to the real world and the romantic comedy relationships in Free Guy,” he praised.
Crucially, Penn was instrumental in moving the scenes where Guy realizes he’s in a video game towards the end. “I had Guy realize this pretty early on. Zak wisely advised to build towards that moment and hold off as long as possible. It was the right decision because you can’t have the audience ahead of the main character.”
Meet Guy
Guy, the NPC turned full-blown player starts out as the pale blue-shirted bank clerk who thrives on routine and predictability until he desires real change. Lieberman initially wrote Guy’s character as more cynical than the affable guy we see on screen. “I originally had him rebelling and asking why they tolerate such violence and disorder. When Ryan Reynolds signed on, he suggested Guy start out as being naïve and happy where he was in life.” This gave Guy a bigger character arc and places to go in the movie.
Matt Liberman confessed the autobiographical influence behind Guy was his own life experience. “Sometimes I felt like a cartoon character. I’m a habitual guy. I felt stuck in my lane, doing the same things every day. How much free will is real and how much is in your mind? How much can we change our world? How much are we beholden to everything around us,” he mused.
To further illustrate this point, Lieberman discussed the scene where Guy and Buddy (Lil Real Bowery) realize that they’re ostensibly insignificant NPCs in Free City. Buddy can’t understand what’s so wrong with the repeatability of it. They predictably know their bank is going to get robbed each day and can prepare for it. “There’s a reason they call them comfort clothes,” Buddy exclaims. “Because they’re so damn comfortable.”
On an existential level, the screenwriter describes Free Guy as a film about the power of kindness. “If you actively put good things out into the world, you can change it.” In another scene, the NPCs go on a general strike to make a difference to their world.
Buddy (Lil Rel Howery) and Guy (Ryan Reynolds)
In addition to NPCs changing the world (something many everyday folks aspire to), Free Guy touches on deeper themes of self-awareness and being your best self. “It’s also about the main characters putting themselves in the shoes of NPCs and empathizing with them. It’s also about taking control of your life. We’re not helpless.”
On another thematic layer, Free Guy juxtaposes the contrast between the chaotic nature of Free City and the ordered nature of the real world. “In early drafts, I explored the question of what might happen if you got the key codes to life and you could do whatever you wanted in the video game.” In an early draft, Guy obtained the key codes to the game. As soon as he got stuck in the game, Guy could activate the key codes and access every tool to proceed in the game. “As soon as that happens, the game becomes boring.” Life and growth is about struggle. You can’t go around killing people whenever you feel like it without consequences.
The role of video game programmers Molotov Girl and Keys (Joe Keery) is integral to Free City. They created it. Molotov Girl is Guy’s creator (a goddess of sorts) and ends up falling in love with him – even if it means destroying her beloved game to save him. “Molotov Girl is surprised by her feelings towards Guy because she initially sees herself as just another gamer.” Antoine (Taika Waititi) is the veritable supervillain who wants to seize control Free City and not let anything change. Through these interactions, Guy not only takes charge of his life. “Guy’s world views are tested, taken to its knees and ultimately validated.”
Free Guy was simmering in Matt Lieberman’s mind for many years before writing it. A draft was even rejected by director Shawn Levy several years prior. When the story galvanized, the screenwriter wrote the first draft in two weeks. “When the engine is configured correctly in act one, it makes the rest of the screenplay flow easier.” (He pondered over Free Guy for at least a year before he wrote it.)
Allowing a good movie idea to ferment for a period of time if necessary, pays off. The process has allowed Lieberman to trust his storytelling instincts more. “Have faith in the system. A good idea finds a way.“
