I don’t mind Paul Feig’s brand of comedy, he’s the filmmaker behind “Bridesmaids,” “The Heat” “A Simple Favor” and “Spy,” but he really hasn’t had a hit in almost 10 years and his last two films (“Last Christmas,” “The School of Good and Evil”) were critically panned.
We should definitely not forget that Feig is also responsible for the all-female “Ghostbusters” from 2016 — remember that one? It film could have easily destroyed anybody else’s career, but Feig is hanging in there, even if his latest one is going straight to streaming.
Feig’s “Jackpot!” — starring Awkwafina and John Cena — now has a trailer, and know what? It looks watchable. I like Cena, especially in comedies, and he seems to deliver the goods again here. However, this near 4-minute trailer practically gives away the entire film, what gives? Also, the title of the film is a downgrade from the original one which was “Grand Theft Lotto.”
It’s no secret that comedies are a dying breed these days, even with last year’s theatrically released “No Hard Feelings” racking up decent dough ($50M). It’s come to the point where the genre has become more of a staple for streaming rather than theatrical. Earlier this year, Peter Farrelly’s compulsively hilarious “Ricky Stanicky,” also starring Cena, went straight to Apple TV.
Feig’s next film (after “Jackpot!”) might be going to theaters, and that’s the sequel to “A Simple Favor” which was a midsized hit at the box office and has amassed a loyal cult following on Netflix since its release. Production recently wrapped on that film, and it’s set for a release sometime next year.
“Jackpot!” arrives on Prime Video on August 15. Here’s the synopsis:
In the near future, a ‘Grand Lottery’ has been newly established in California – the catch: kill the winner before sundown to legally claim their multi-billion dollar jackpot. When Katie Kim (Awkwafina) moves to Los Angeles, she mistakenly finds herself with the winning ticket. Desperate to survive the hordes of jackpot hunters, she reluctantly joins forces with amateur lottery protection agent Noel Cassidy (John Cena) who will do everything in his power to get her to sundown in exchange for a piece of her prize. However, Noel must face off with his slick rival Louis Lewis (Simu Liu), who also seeks to collect Katie’s commission at all costs.