No matter the outcome at the box office, it’s essential for film financiers to support a renowned director like Gore Verbinski. Distributors, meanwhile, need to make a bold statement by opting for theatrical releases.
Such is the situation with Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die, marking Gore Verbinski’s return to cinema after a decade. Known for the Pirates of the Caribbean series, Verbinski’s break wasn’t as prolonged as that of Terrence Malick. Though he paused since his last film, A Cure for Wellness in 2016, he had been developing projects, including an X-Men spinoff and the Netflix animated film Cattywumpus. His motivation to direct this new project stemmed from the allure of an unusual script about a man from a dystopian future who recruits diner patrons in Los Angeles to combat the growing threat of AI.
The journey of Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die took eight years from idea to screen, initially conceived by The Invention of Lying‘s co-director and writer, Matthew Robinson. Originally a 26-page TV pilot titled Don’t Trust Anyone Under 30, it evolved from a classroom scene into a broader narrative featuring a time-traveling protagonist and eclectic vignettes.
“We sensed its potential,” remarked Oly Obst, Robinson’s agent and 3 Arts Entertainment Partner. With multiple script read-throughs, the project gradually transitioned into a feature film. According to Erwin Stoff, another producer, the relevance of AI in the narrative became increasingly timely, prompting the urgency to produce the film.
Verbinski was approached by Stoff to take on the project. Within two days, Verbinski expressed fervent enthusiasm to direct. With producer Denise Chamian onboard, Sam Rockwell was cast as the lead, followed by actors Juno Temple, Haley Lu Richardson, Michael Peña, and Zazie Beetz. The film, funded with about $20 million, was shot in South Africa, recreating the Norms diner setting from Los Angeles.
Marketing strategies embraced a whimsical, Terry Gilliam-inspired aesthetic, paying homage to the artist’s works like Brazil. The film’s promotional campaign included a large ticket giveaway for those affected by AI-related job losses and avante-garde stunts, such as a plane displaying the message “Hire Human Beings #GoodLuckHaveFunDon’tDie” over Silicon Valley. The L.A. premiere featured a recreated diner party and creative contests inviting fan-made edits.
Ultimately, Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die may break records for Briarcliff Entertainment’s opening weekend, potentially surpassing their previous best, Honest Thief. “Thanks to optimistic financiers like Constantin, projects like this become feasible,” stated Stoff. Obst emphasized, “One of the greatest forms of censorship is self-censorship. If we shy away from daring and ambitious stories, we risk losing diverse storytelling.”
