DEADLINE – DGA Award winner and 5x Emmy nominee Paul Feig has found a stellar trio to lead his new action-comedy Grand Death Lotto for Amazon Studios in John Cena (Peacemaker), Awkwafina (Renfield) and Simu Liu (Barbie).
The film penned by Rob Yescombe (Outside the Wire) is set in a very near future, in which a Grand Lottery has been established in economically challenged California. The only catch? You’ll need to kill the winner before sundown in order to legally claim their prize. New L.A. transplant Katie (Awkwafina) accidentally finds herself with the winning ticket and must join forces with amateur jackpot protector Noel (Cena) to make it to sundown in order to claim her multi-billion dollar prize, all while dealing with Noel’s protection rival Louis Lewis (Liu), who also wants to get her to sundown in order to claim his rich protection commission.
Roth/Kirschenbaum Films’ Joe Roth and Jeff Kirschenbaum will produce the Amazon Original Movie alongside Feigco Entertainment’s Laura Fischer and Feig, with Cena, Zack Roth and Yescombe exec producing. Production kicks off next week. The film will stream on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.
“Grand Death Lotto is the kind of original idea audiences have been craving, and there’s no one better than the endlessly talented Paul Feig to steer the ship,” said Amazon and MGM Studios chief, Jennifer Salke. “We can’t wait to watch John Cena, Awkwafina, and Simu Liu bring this fun, action-packed script to life for our Prime Video customers around the world.”
“I love action comedy and extreme physical comedy and this movie has both in abundance, as well as a boatload of heart and hilarity,” added Feig. “This lotto will make winners of us all.”
Cena leads James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad spin-off series Peacemaker, which set viewership records for HBO Max upon its release last January. He’ll next reprise his Fast & Furious franchise role as Jakob in Uni’s Fast X, which hits theaters May 19. Other upcoming projects for the actor include the Matthew Vaughn-helmed Apple spy thriller Argylle, Prime Video’s Peter Farrelly comedy Ricky Stanicky and 20th/Hulu’s Vacation Friends sequel, Honeymoon Friends.
Awkwafina leads the acclaimed Comedy Central series Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens, which will be back for a third season, and will next be seen in Uni’s vampire pic Renfield opposite Nicolas Cage and Nicholas Hoult, as well as Disney’s The Little Mermaid. Additionally, she will star opposite Sandra Oh in an upcoming Untitled Sister Comedy Project for Hulu.
Shang-Chi and Kim’s Convenience breakout Simu Liu stars in Warner Bros’ Barbie from filmmaker Greta Gerwig, which is due for release on July 21. He also stars opposite Hamilton‘s Phillipa Soo in Andy Fickman’s romance One True Loves, which hits theaters on April 7.
Feig most recently co-wrote, directed and produced Netflix’s starry fantasy pic The School for Good and Evil, based on the same-name novel by Soman Chainani, which debuted at #1 on the platform in 88 countries. He’s a writer, EP and director of Fox’s Welcome to Flatch and also exec produces Minx, which has headed to Starz for its second season. Additional films helmed by Feig that have grossed $1B+ worldwide include Bridesmaids, Last Christmas, The Heat, Ghostbusters, Spy and A Simple Favor. And a sequel to the latter is in the works, as we were first to tell you last summer, with Feig directing and producing.
Cena is repped by WME, Intenta Media, and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole; Awkwafina by UTA, Artists First, and Schreck Rose Dapello; Liu by CAA, Authentic Talent & Literary Management, and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern; Feig by CAA and Sloane, Offer; and Yescombe by A3 Artists Agency and Curtis Brown Group.
Category: Movie Projects
‘One True Loves’ Official Trailer
This beautiful romantic comedy hits select theaters on April 7th!
Simu Shares Messages From Chinese Fans
A few months ago, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings hit theaters (95%), and unlike Eternals (58%) – which divided critics and audiences – the film starring Simu Liu was a box office success and received praise from critics and fans. However, both films have something in common – they were banned in China by the government, and it is a pity in the case of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings as it is a true tribute to the culture and cinema of that country.
Although it did not make it to theaters, many in China saw Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and they recognized how it addresses its traditions in an epic and respectful way. Globally, the film grossed US $ 430 million, and it is very likely that it would have been a success in the Asian country, given that most of the Marvel films triumph in the territory. There are several reasons why it was banned in China, but the best known are the character of Wenwu, inspired by Fu Manchú and El Mandarín, two problematic and racist representations.
For his part, he insists that one should not pay attention to politics or believe the tabloid headlines, as his Weibo (Chinese social network) is full of messages of love. This was the screenshot he shared in an Instagram story accompanied by this text.
The media only want to report on tabloid geopolitics. But my Weibo is absolutely full of messages of love and support like this one from our Chinese fans. Take away the government, politics, and rhetoric, and you find that we are not that different from each other.
Although most do not understand what the messages say in Chinese, the emojis of hearts and the actor’s words are enough to verify that the film was well received among the public in the country. Precisely today, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings arrives at Disney Plus, so that it can be enjoyed by all those who have not seen it in theaters or by those who long to see it again. We hope that the sequel and its release date will be confirmed soon.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to expand and reveal new threats that are beyond what The Avengers have faced thus far. In Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, we had a post credits scene where we are shown that the rings sent a signal that alerted such important characters as Wong, Doctor Strange’s assistant, and Captain Marvel. It is believed that this signal will alert its true owner, an extraterrestrial being, where its powerful artifacts are located.
On the other hand, in Eternals, we saw the potential new villain of the franchise, the Celestial known as Arishem, the Judge, as big as a planet, and apparently with a power that goes beyond what has been seen so far. How will Marvel heroes deal with these threats? Although there are very powerful characters on the side of the good guys, it seems that they will have to join forces to take on the new villains.
This year, three Marvel Studios films and four series have already been released, the fourth series with Hawkeye will arrive very soon, and in December we will have Spider-man: no way home, which promises to be as big as Avengers: Endgame.
The star of ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ discusses confronting Asian stereotypes with his next project, the romantic drama ‘One True Loves’: ‘It’s always been important to me to constantly challenge people’s perceptions of myself’
As Marvel’s newest superhero, Simu Liu flexed a lot of skills (and muscle) in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings: martial arts, comedy and, as a traumatized son reuniting with his estranged father, drama. The Canadian actor’s latest film, One True Loves, will show he can also play the romantic leading man.
The adaptation of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s 2016 novel centers on Emma (Hamilton star Phillipa Soo), whose husband Jesse (Luke Bracey of the 2015 Point Break remake) goes missing on their first wedding anniversary and is eventually presumed dead. Years later, Emma is engaged to Sam (Liu) when Jesse suddenly resurfaces. Reid and her husband, Alex Jenkins Reid, wrote the screenplay, with Andy Fickman (She’s the Man) directing.
Highland Film Group, which is co-financing the feature alongside Blue Rider Pictures, is representing international rights. HFG’s domestic arm The Avenue will release One True Loves domestically.
Liu was invited to choose between the film’s two leading men when producer Sarah Finn (who also serves as casting director for the Marvel Cinematic Universe) passed him the script. In an email interview, he shared with The Hollywood Reporter how he came to his decision and the values that matter to him in strategizing his ascendant career.
An actor’s immediate post-Marvel moves are always extremely important and closely watched. What made One True Loves the right project for you to take on as one of your post-Shang-Chi steps?
To quote Monty Python, “and now, for something completely different!” Coming off of an action/martial arts spectacle like Shang-Chi, I knew that much of the world was going to expect me to do more kung fu films. It’s always been important to me to constantly challenge people’s perceptions of myself, as well as of Asian people as a whole. While I celebrate legendary actors such as Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Bruce Lee, I know that my path is very different. I am not a master of kung-fu, after all; I am an actor who trained very hard to embody the character that I was hired to play. As such, I’m beyond excited to step into Sam’s shoes for this movie that I am deeply in love with.
In Taylor Jenkins Reid’s original novel, the main characters are white (or at least not Asian). So at what point in the process did that change?
When the script first reached my desk through Sarah Finn’s office (yes, THAT Sarah Finn!), I was not privy to any of the discussions that occurred prior. I knew that Phillipa was attached to play Emma, and I was being asked to read the script to consider playing either Sam or Jesse. This immediately excited me, because it showed me that the producers were looking past the surface level of these characters to what was underneath. When I read the script, I loved the arc between Sam and Emma and I felt that our ethnicities brought an added layer of depth to the story that wouldn’t have been there otherwise. And so, I chose! On our first Zoom call, I thanked Taylor for being willing to imagine a different Sam than she had initially written, and she looked at me like I was speaking in another language. She said that from the moment the idea had been presented to her, I became her one and only Sam. It truly meant the world to hear that!
When the casting was announced, you wrote that making these characters Asian was about “more than a face.” Can you share how you (as well as your filmmakers and castmates) worked to make your characters Asian American in identity, not just in appearance?
Many Asian actors will know the feeling of reading a script where the parts were not originally written for them. I liken it to buying a suit off the rack; I might really love a specific color or design of a suit but in order for me to be able to wear it and pull it off, I know that we need to make some adjustments. What I love that we did with the Emma character is that once the producers knew it was Phillipa, who of course is biracial, we cast the entire family to fit her, including Michaela Conlin and the amazing Lauren Tom. We also changed the art design of the family home to reflect the people who were living in it. For Sam, a lot of that work was internal for me. It was looking inwardly and saying, how would an Asian American man have reacted under the same circumstances? What are the things that would have crossed his mind that wouldn’t have been there if he was white?
Inasmuch as there have been real strides in Asian inclusion over the past three years, the fact that an Asian American male love interest is still notable speaks to the historic lack of representation in this area. Hopefully by now we don’t need to keep making the case for why it’s important to see Asian men as romantic partners, but do you want to explain it (again) for anyone who still doesn’t get it?
Well, I think it’s about reclaiming the narrative about both Asian men and women. We have both suffered at the hands of a system that did not uplift and empower us, and are just now beginning to have the ability to uplift and empower ourselves. So as much as I hear you about the importance of seeing Asian men as romantic partners, I think the greater goal is to just see Asian people as people – complete with dreams and aspirations, insecurities and secrets, who fall in love and get their hearts broken.
Let’s take the conversation a step deeper. You’ve talked to me before about the opportunity to define and introduce Asian American masculinity as an inclusive identity that doesn’t rely on narrow, reactionary tropes. Were there ways in which you were able to bring that vision to this role?
Sam flies in the face of a lot of traditionally masculine tropes. He’s gentle, kind, patient, and he often puts the needs of his partner before himself. His generosity and strength of character really impressed me upon my first read-through of the script, as well as his propensity for growth. Sam, like Simu, was a bit of an awkward kid in high school. It’s such a difficult time in so many people’s lives, and Sam and I just didn’t quite have all the pieces put together. But what I love about my own journey of personal growth is what I love about his. We figured ourselves out without blaming women or feeling the need to overcompensate. I think it’s telling that it took an incredible female storyteller like Taylor to envision a confident male character that was free from the toxicity that is sometimes associated with the traditional ideal of manliness or masculinity.
What types of stories and characters are you passionate about bringing to life now?
I want to play characters that people can connect to, and that continue to challenge people’s expectations of what Asian people can be. It sounds strange, but sometimes it feels like the most avant-garde thing I can do as an Asian actor is to play a human being. No martial arts, no stereotypes, no accent… just a flawed, messy, insecure human.
