The Big Picture

Exclusive images from
Jackpot!
showcase John Cena and Awkwafina in action, promising chaotic and comedic energy.
Set in a dystopian California, the film follows a unique “Grand Lottery” twist where the winner must survive until sundown.
Director Paul Feig chose Cena for his professional wrestling background, aiming to create a Jackie Chan-style comedic action movie.

The anticipation for Paul Feig’s upcoming action-comedy Jackpot! just kicked up a notch with the release of exclusive images, which Collider is delighted to bring to our readers. Starring John Cena and Awkwafina, the movie is one of those high-concept projects that’s exactly what audiences are looking for in a movie these days. In these newly unveiled images, we see Cena and Awkwafina in the thick of the action, giving us a taste of the chaotic and comedic energy that Jackpot! promises to deliver.

Directed by Feig, the movie is set in a dystopian near-future California where a “Grand Lottery” offers a massive jackpot. However, there’s a dark twist: anyone holding a losing ticket can legally kill the winner before sundown to claim the prize. Cena, who plays Noel Cassidy, a tough-as-nails yet quirky lottery protection agent, is seen being held back as he tries to make his way through high-stakes situations. Awkwafina, playing the lottery-winning actress Katie, appears every bit as frazzled as you’d expect from someone who suddenly has a massive target on her back. The movie also features Seann William Scott and Simu Liu, reuniting with Awkwafina after the pair lit up the screen in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

Why Is John Cena Perfect for ‘Jackpot!’?

Feig sat down with Collider’s Steve Weintraub last week while promoting the film, and revealed that it was the sort of movie he’d have loved to make for Jackie Chan. With Cena’s background in professional wrestling, he was the ideal candidate to take the lead. He told Collider:

“I had a great stunt team, a lot of preparation, a great cast that just could pull it off. I mean, who knows more about choreographing action than John Cena? When you’re a wrestler, you gotta know and be precise and be able to do all that and do it convincingly. Everybody dug in. James Young, the great James Young, was our stunt coordinator and he and his team do a lot of the Marvel movies and
Captain America
and all that. They were so excited to get to do comedic action because we’re both Jackie Chan fanatics. That’s when I first read this, and it was like,
‘This is my chance to finally make the Jackie Chan movie I always wanted to make
.’ So we all just kind of poured in and said, ‘How do we make this action real but funny?'”

Jackpot! will arrive on Prime Video on August 15, 2024 in the U.S.

Jackpot! (2024) Jackpot! revolves around a futuristic “Grand Lottery” in California, where the twist is that the winner must be killed before sundown for the prize to be legally claimed. Katie Kim, who finds herself with the winning ticket and must survive with the help of Noel Cassidy, against various hunters. Release Date August 15, 2024 Director Paul Feig Runtime 104 Minutes Main Genre Comedy Writers Rob Yescombe Expand

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