Actors John Cena, Awkwafina, and Simu Liu are teaming up for an action-packed thrill ride as the three have joined the cast for Grand Death Lotto, an upcoming action comedy from director Paul Feig. Rob Yescombe pens the film’s screenplay, which will be produced under Amazon Studios, with production expected to commence next week.
The film will be set in the very near future in an economically challenged California, where a grand lottery has been established. However, the unfortunate catch of the lottery is that if the winner can be killed by sundown, the killer can legally claim their prize. The story will center on New LA transplant Katie, played by Awkwafina, as she accidentally ends up with the winning ticket, putting a target on herself. With the help of amateur jackpot protector Noel, played by Cena, she must embark on a race against the clock if she wants to make it to sundown alive with her multi-billion lottery while being pursued by Louis Lewis, played by Liu, who wants to claim his rich protection commission.
“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 Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon and MGM Studios. “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.”
Cena recently received acclaim for his role as the titular character in Peacemaker, which effectively showcased his comedic chops, which could contrast well with Awkwafina‘s established history with the genre from past films, such as Crazy Rich Asians and Jumanji: The Next Level alongside the future release of Renfield. Liu previously collaborated with Awkwafina in Shang-chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, with the two having a strong friendship in the film. Liu will soon get to showcase some of his comedic timing with the release of Barbie this summer, where he will play a variation of Ken. With the three talented actors joining together in an exciting premise bolstered by an established filmmaker, Grand Death Lotto could be the action-packed comedy audiences are looking for when it debuts sometime in the near future.
“I love action comedy and extreme physical comedy and this movie has both in abundance, as well as a boatload of heart and hilarity,” Feig said about the film. “This lotto will make winners of us all.” Alongside directing the upcoming project, Feig will also serve as a producer under his Feigco Entertainment banner with Laura Fischer alongside Joe Roth and Jeff Kirschenbaum of Roth/Kirschenbaum Films. Additionally, Cena executive produces the film with Zack Roth, and Rob Yescombe.
With the film still in its early stages of production, no official release date for Grand Death Lotto has been revealed yet.
via Collider