Gerard Butler hasn’t seen “Free Guy” or much of Ryan Reynolds’ catalogue, for that matter.
Butler portrayed an inmate controlled by human players in an online video game for 2009’s “Gamer”. The 25-year acting veteran hoped the movie’s commentary on a digital world would resonate with audiences, but perhaps it came too soon.
“I was hoping it was of the time, that people would get it. I thought it was genius,” he told UNILAD. “It could have been executed slightly differently, but I really loved the commentary it was making on where the world was going, especially in gaming and sort of losing ourselves into that world, and technology and man bonding with machine.
RELATED: Ryan Reynolds Confirms That’s Jodie Comer Singing ‘Fantasy’ In ‘Free Guy’
“But, I didn’t feel people really did get it at the time. It didn’t do amazing business. It has become a bit of a cult classic, but I didn’t know about this resurgence.”
Reynolds plays a non-player character that develops sentience in 2021’s “Free Guy”. When asked about comparisons between the two movies, Butler figuratively scratched his head.
RELATED: Gerard Butler, Frank Grillo Turn A Police Station Into A Battleground In ‘Copshop’ Trailer
“I actually don’t know what ‘Free Guy’ is,” Butler said before “Copshop” co-star Alexis Louder caught him up to speed. “Oh s**t… I don’t watch Ryan Reynolds movies.”
Reynolds’ “Free Guy” topped the box office in its opening weekend with a $28.4 million debut. “Copshop” premiered Sept. 17 in North America to positive reviews.
Reynolds used the press coverage to draw attention to his and wife Blake Lively’s work with two nonprofit organizations: ACLU Foundation and NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
“Can you believe Gerard Butler doesn’t know what ‘Free Guy’ is? Also, can you believe that the challenges to democracy have never been greater and that Blake and I will match your contributions to the @aclu_nationwide and @naacp_ldf?” Reynolds captioned an Instagram post on Tuesday. “*Order of these questions optimized for the Internet, NOT importance.”
