By Mr. Will Wong

Would you believe one of this Summer’s most anticipated blockbusters can be enjoyed right from home?

JACKPOT! stars Awkwafina, John Cena and Simu Liu. Directed by Paul Feig, this Action-Comedy arriving August 15, 2024 on Prime Video Canada, is set in the near future where a new lotto, the Grand Lottery, has arrived in California. To win it though, you’ve got to kill the winner before sundown to claim the riches, which are worth billions! Katie (Awkwafina) finds herself in trouble moving to L.A. and finding herself in possession of the winning ticket. She tnen finds herself in a race to save her life from these jackpot hunters. She’s protected by lottery protection agent Noel (Cena), and he must fend-off rival Louis (Simu Liu), the latter trying to get a commission off Katie!

We were delighted to sit-in on a conversation with Feig, Awkwafina, Cena and Liu today as they did the rounds to promote JACKPOT!

Paul Feig, who has brought us his comedic genius in Bridesmaids, Ghostbusters (2016) and The Heat, is asked what drew him to this project.

Feig: I originally receive a script titled Grand Theft Lotto, thought it sounded stupid and was not going to read it. It was days later that my producing partner Laura Fischer said, ‘You should read the script, it is really funny!’. I got into page 40 out of 100 and said, I have to do this Movie. It was too much fun. It was the Jacky Chan movie I always wanted to make. It’s funny, silly, emotional – a story about someone in over their head.

Awkwafina explains her excitement about getting to work with Feig.

Awkwafina: I was attached to the Movie already and we were looking for a Director, and Paul was interested, I was so happy. I’m a huge fan of everything he’s done since Freaks and Geeks. Also, I’ve been friends with him for some time.

Feig: We had dinner and we were both on the same page. We both wanted to make sure it felt real and grounded. It’s always dangerous doing a story about an Actor because it can be difficult to get an audience invested in someone wanting to become famous. Our goal was to make it relatable, and I think we did that.

John Cena talks about joining the project.

Cena: It’s just another day in my life – a bunch of Comedy and Action! Another day at office! I don’t think there’s anybody better to play amatueur protection agent than me!

Awkwafina takes us through her fitness journey prepping for her role as Katie in Jackpot!

Awkwafina: This did kick off my fitness journey for sure, especially in the opening sequence. Simu and I were already in action movie together and for that one I did not train. We were just hanging out at Westfield. This one I felt like it was important for me to work with the team, who are amazing and my stunt double Kiera O’Connor, and also working with John (Cena) too. I really appreciate the way John handles action scenes and is about safety. I felt very, very safe when doing scenes as a group.

Cena: You killed it, you looked great out there. You did a lot of stunts yourself and nailed the physicality.

Simu Liu describes for us his character Louis Lewis, who is seen as the villain.

Liu: Is he a bad guy or just a solid, ambitious Entrepreneur? When you’re introduced to him, he’s kind of a boss – everything John’s character wants to be. Noel is an amateur ambulance-chasing insurance salesman, who’s running after people to hire him. Louis has money and resources to rent out billboards and has got a whole compound working for him. If you won the Grand Lottery, who would you rather go with to protect you?

Feig: And nobody rocks a three-piece white suit like Louis.

Cena: What I love about the Action here is that it’s comical and realistic. There is a scene in a strip mall where we’re going through a karate studio, a yoga studio, etc. What I love about Paul‘s creativity when he said this is his Jacky Chan movie that he wanted to film – when you look at the way Jacky Chan tells a story, he’ll choreograph a fight when he gets on-set. He’ll see the audio guy or a loose chair and he’ll incorporate all those things into the action. I thought the stunt team did an incredible job at incorporating various things you’d find in a karate dojo and all that stuff yields itself to Comedy. When situations were safe, I was happy to do it. But I’m not going to sit here and say I wasn’t grateful to my stunt double. All it takes is for you to lose one of your testicles to find out that you’ve only got two more. Safety is now my prime concern. I’ll do whatever is asked of me, but when they want the stunt double to come in, Spencer (Thomas) is my guy!

Simu Liu recalls an incident where he sent a stunt perfomer to the hospital.

Liu: 90 to 95% of my movements were more straightforward – a couple falls and I had an amazing stunt double Will (Tang) who stepped in. Do you remember when I sent a stunt guy to the hospital?

Cena: Don’t let that sleuth fool you, he’s an athlete! He was taking Choreography and amplifying it!

Simu: What was his name? I did a batckick and couldn’t see where I was kicking, the wires got crossed and I felt so so bad!

Cena: He was back on-set within an hour!

Awkwafina: The whole stunt team was the best, without them, action movies cant exist.

Cena: They were actually happy finally to do Action-Comedy so that they could laugh at the stunts.

Paul Feig comments on his casting eclectic and talented Casts.

Feig: When I do Comedy, I have people that I work with who are ‘money in the bank’, where they can literall have one line and I know they’re going to make it into something… It was like a team of these up and coming Comedy people.

Dolly De Leon whom I saw in Triangle of Sadness and was so great. I couldn’t believe we got her. I just like to have a deep team of really talented Comedy people who will take what we have and make it into something else.

Don’t forget to stream JACKPOT! when it arrives August 15, 2024 on Prime Video Canada.

(Photo/video credit: Prime Video Canada)

JACKPOT! is an outrageous action-comedy about a ‘Grand Lottery’ with a catch: kill the winner before sundown to legally claim their multi-billion dollar jackpot. See the new Trailer for this August 15, 2024 release on Prime Video Canada.

Awkwafina plays Katie, who mistakenly finds herself with the winning ticket and reluctantly joins forces with amateur lottery protection agent Noel Cassidy, played by John Cena, who must get her to sundown in exchange for a piece of her prize.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IW7pIYtpp50

JACKPOT! introduces audiences to their new favorite comedy duo: Awkwafina and John Cena.
Legendary director Paul Feig champions Awkwafina, another great comedienne in an action-packed starring role, following his other beloved action comedies like THE HEAT and SPY, among others.
Directed by Paul Feig
Starring Awkwafina, John Cena, Ayden Mayeri, Donald Elise Watkins,
Sam Asghari, Murray Hill and Simu Liu
Written by Rob Yescombe
Produced by Joe Roth, Jeff Kirschenbaum, p.g.a., Paul Feig, p.g.a., Laura Fischer, p.g.a.
Executive Produced by John Cena, Michelle Morrissey, Rob Yescombe, Zack Roth
Genre: Action Comedy
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. JACKPOT! is directed by Paul Feig and written by Rob Yescombe.

Rated R

Zac Efron and John Cena star in RICKY STANICKY from Director Peter Farrelly! We get a new Trailer for the R-rated Comedy, coming to Prime Video March 7, 2024.

Synopsis:

When three childhood best friends pull a prank gone wrong, they invent the imaginary Ricky Stanicky to get them out of trouble! Twenty years after creating this ‘friend,’ Dean, JT, and Wes (Zac Efron, Andrew Santino, and Jermaine Fowler) still use the nonexistent Ricky as a handy alibi for their immature behavior. When their spouses and partners get suspicious and demand to finally meet the fabled Mr. Stanicky, the guilty trio decide to hire washed-up actor and raunchy celebrity impersonator “Rock Hard” Rod (John Cena) to bring him to life. But when Rod takes his role of a lifetime too far, they begin to wish they’d never invented Ricky in the first place. From director Peter Farrelly and featuring additional cast members including William H. Macy, Lex Scott Davis, and Anja Savcic.

Directed by Peter Farrelly

Starring Zac Efron, Jermaine Fowler, Andrew Santino, Lex Scott Davis,

Anja Savcic, Jeff Ross with William H. Macy and John Cena

Screenplay by Jeff Bushell and Brian Jarvis & James Lee Freeman & Peter Farrelly & Pete Jones & Mike Cerrone

Produced by Paul Currie, Thorsten Schumacher, John Jacobs, Michael De Luca

Today it was announced that John Cena, Awkwafina, and Simu Liu are set to star in Prime Video’s action-comedy Grand Death Lotto, from director Paul Feig. Feig is directing the film from a script penned by Rob Yescombe (Outside the Wire). The film, which hails from Amazon Studios, will be produced by Roth/Kirschenbaum Films’ Joe Roth and Jeff Kirschenbaum, and Feigco Entertainment’s Laura Fischer and Paul Feig. John Cena, Zack Roth, and Rob Yescombe will executive produce.

In the very near future, the Grand Lottery has been established in economically challenged California. The only catch? Kill the winner before sundown and you can legally claim their prize. New LA transplant Katie (Awkwafina) accidentally finds herself with the winning ticket and must join forces with amateur jackpot protector Noel (John 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 (Simu Liu), who also wants to get her to sundown in order to claim his rich protection commission.

The Amazon Original Movie will be available to stream on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide. Production begins next week.

“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.”

“I love action comedy and extreme physical comedy and this movie has both in abundance, as well as a boatload of heart and hilarity,” said director Paul Feig. “This lotto will make winners of us all.”

John Cena recently starred as Peacemaker in the No. 1 HBO Max Original series of the same name. His upcoming credits include the tenth main installment in the Fast & Furious franchise Fast X, Matthew Vaughn-helmed spy thriller Argylle, Prime Video’s Ricky Stanicky, and the sequel to Vacation Friends.

Awkwafina will next be seen in Universal’s Renfield opposite Nicolas Cage and Disney’s The Little Mermaid. Additionally, she will star opposite Sandra Oh in an upcoming Untitled Sister Comedy Project for Hulu and the third season of Comedy Central’s Nora from Queens.

Simu Liu’s credits include Disney’s Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings and Warner Bros.’ upcoming feature Barbie.

Paul Feig is a DGA-winning and Emmy-nominated filmmaker, writer, producer, and author who most recently served as the director, producer, and co-writer of The School for Good and Evil, which debuted as the #1 film on Netflix in 88 countries worldwide upon release. In television, he is a writer, executive producer, and director of FOX’s Welcome to Flatch, which is currently airing its second season, and an executive producer of Minx, which will premiere its second season on Starz later this year. He has a proven track record of films that have grossed over one billion dollars worldwide including Bridesmaids, Last Christmas, The Heat, Ghostbusters, Spy, and A Simple Favor, the latter of which Feig will direct and produce a sequel.

Cena is represented by WME, Intenta Media, and JSSK. Awkwafina is represented by UTA, Artists First, Schreck Rose & Kovert Creative. Liu is represented by CAA, Authentic Talent & Literary Management, and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern. Feig is represented by CAA and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern. Yescombe is represented by A3 Artists Agency and Curtis Brown.

By Mr. Will Wong

Taking 18 months to film, starting and stopping over the course of the Pandemic, Clay Tarver (Silicon Valley) directs VACATION FRIENDS starring John Cena and Lil Rel Howery. Centering on a couple (Lil Rel Howery and Yvonne Orji) who go on a getaway to Mexico to get married. Along the way they encounter a wild couple (John Cena and Meredith Hagner) who crash their plans, becoming a bigger part of lives than they could’ve imagined! VACATION FRIENDS really gets its audience to think about that it meant for us to be on vacation at a different time in our lives.

We were lucky to join the Global Press Conference for VACATION FRIENDS and in attendance were:

John Cena – Ron

Lil Rel Howery – Marcus

Yvonne Orji – Emily

Andrew Bachelor – Gabe

Robert Wisdom  

Clay Tarver – Director

Clay Tarver tells us about VACATION FRIENDS‘ relatability.

Tarver: I used to be a musician and still sorta am. The touring life was that every time you’d meet some new friends, doing a big bonding experience that was almost every night. But I’ve met people on vacation in Mexico where I thought we were gonna be friends forever, but once we got to the airport I thought ‘Umm, maybe not’.

John Cena, admits he’s met people in real life like his Ron and Co-Star Meredith Hagner‘s Kyla, and how he responds to that.

Cena: I’d think to take the experience in. The effect is a boomerang, you get what you give. I don’t think there’s anything disrespectful about the two of them. I just think they operate under a construct that doesn’t necessarily adhere to what we think is structural society. They’re fast and loose and really enjoy the present. That’s a very rare commodity. I’ve met people like that in real life and had a blast. I don’t know if I’d ride that wave or how far I’d go out with them, but I’d certainly enjoy their company.

Comedian Yvonne Orji recalls her most memorable experience filming VACATION FRIENDS.

Orji: Was it our last night filming in pseudo-Mexico, but actual Puerto Rico? It was a large sequencing. We did the barhopping, the wrestling scene and it was kinda like wild. There’s a scene they’re carrying Meredith out the bar and it was mayhem, but in the best way possible. We also didn’t know that the world was shutting down on the other side of the ocean. So we were in our own bubble and that was fun!

She comments on what makes for a great performance on Film, being a Comedian.

Orji: The best performances come when you’re not in your head about performing and you’re just being present and enjoying the ride. Rel and I are both Comics, so being spontaneous and being in the middle of the moment and finding whatever spontaneity comes out of that, we just go with it!

Andrew Bachelor talks about some of his intense – although comedic – scenes with Lil Rel Howery.

Bachelor: I’ve known Rel for a while, so when you’re working with your friends, it’s easier to be mean to them. It was no problem at all!

Wisdom, who has worked on THE WIRE, tries his hand at Comedy here and talks about the fun he had.

Robert: There’s a big ballroom scene where I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, but it was fun! They pulled-off some real R-rated stuff with a lot of fun. And then there’s a scene… I had a ball let’s just say. I was a little tipsy and it was fun.

Lil Rel Howery and John Cena talk about their chemistry.

Cena: I think it all starts with the professional respect we have for each other. Both of us were excited about the Script and wanted to do the Film and Clay being kind enough to let us go and be us. As Rel puts it, the words and Comedy were on the page and we just leaned into what we wanted to show. I’d love to do it again!

Howery: I’m a big Wrestling fan and I was like ‘Yo! He really loves what he does!’. Working with someone else that loves what they do, it made it really easy for us to play. I love that fact that John was open to the idea of trying new things and having fun with it even if it was the silliest thing. So hopefully we can be Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor!

Cena and Howery talk about what they hope the audience will take away from VACATION FRIENDS.

Cena: Had we been on a normal schedule, this is when it would’ve been released anyway. Because we’ve had to modify what vacation means to us, all of us know what vacation means and all of us remember our vacation moments and people we may have met on vacation. If they get anything else that’s great, but I hope they’re entertained and that they laugh,

I think the subject matter is so relatable and so desperately needed right now that especially people are having to come up with Plan B vacations and alter yet again here we are 18 months into the world changing. I think it’s going to be good for people to just sit down and enjoy a film that might might make them remember a moment of their life and smile a little bit.

Howery: I think the audience is going to enjoy seeing, it’s almost like a blueprint of what was fun and this Movie is so funny, which is why I applaud Clay. One of the things Comedy is missing is just being straight-up funny. This really is just a straight-up funny movie and laughter is so important right now. Laughter is just good for the soul.

Cena: Being a physical performer in the WWE, the reason we transcend so many borders is that you get the action. I think what they brilliantly did in the Script was provide a ton of Physical Comedy so it’s also a movie you cannot necessarily know what’s going on with the audio but see the Movie and laugh along with it, because of the tremendous amount of Physical Comedy. And I think that’s gonna help us around the world and hopefully we can make a lot more people laugh.

VACATION FRIENDS arrives on Star on Disney+ Friday, August 28, 2021.

(Photo/video credit: Disney/20th Century Studios)

John Cena stars in VACATION FRIENDS, coming soon to STAR, only on Disney+! We love a good raunchy Comedy and here’s the new Trailer.

Synopsis:

In this raw and raunchy comedy, straight-laced Marcus and Emily (Lil Rel Howery, Yvonne Orji) are befriended by wild, thrill-seeking partiers Ron and Kyla (John Cena, Meredith Hagner) at a resort in Mexico.  Living in the moment, the usually level-headed couple lets loose to enjoy a week of uninhibited fun and debauchery with their new “vacation friends.” Months after their walk on the wild side, Marcus and Emily are horrified when Ron and Kyla show up uninvited at their wedding, creating chaos and proving that what happens on vacation, doesn’t necessarily stay on vacation.

VACATION FRIENDS arrives on Star August 27, 2021.

(Photo/video credit: Disney)

A new F9 Trailer is here at long last!

Synopsis:
No matter how fast you are, no one outruns their past.

Summer 2021 is the time for F9, the ninth chapter in the saga that has endured for almost two decades and has earned more than $5 billion around the world.

Vin Diesel’s Dom Toretto is leading a quiet life off the grid with Letty and his son, little Brian, but they know that danger always lurks just over their peaceful horizon. This time, that threat will force Dom to confront the sins of his past if he’s going to save those he loves most. His crew joins together to stop a world-shattering plot led by the most skilled assassin and high-performance driver they’ve ever encountered: a man who also happens to be Dom’s forsaken brother, Jakob (John Cena, next year’s The Suicide Squad).

F9 sees the return of Justin Lin as director, who helmed the third, fourth, fifth and sixth chapters of the series when it transformed into a global blockbuster. The action hurtles around the globe—from London to Tokyo, from Central America to Edinburgh, and from a secret bunker in Azerbaijan to the teeming streets of Tblisi. Along the way, old friends will be resurrected, old foes will return, history will be rewritten, and the true meaning of family will be tested like never before.

See the Trailer:

F9 is in theatres Friday, June 25, 2021.

(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures)

Well this looks fun! John Cena stars in PLAYING WITH FIRE! See the brand-new Trailer!

SYNOPSIS:
When straight-laced fire superintendent Jake Carson (John Cena) and his elite team of expert firefighters (Keegan-Michael Key, John Leguizamo and Tyler Mane) come to the rescue of three siblings (Brianna Hildebrand, Christian Convery and Finley Rose Slater) in the path of an encroaching wildfire, they quickly realize that no amount of training could prepare them for their most challenging job yet – babysitters. Unable to locate the children’s parents, the firefighters have their lives, jobs and even their fire depot turned upside down and quickly learn that kids – much like fires –are wild and unpredictable.

See the Trailer:

Paramount Pictures Canada release PLAYING WITH FIRE Friday, November 8, 2019.

(Photo/video credit: Paramount Pictures Canada)

As you know, CINEMACON is underway in Las Vegas and Paramount Pictures were front and center with a star-studded presentation of several upcoming releases on their release slate! Taking place at Caesar’s Palace last night, stars and titles were unveiled including the likes of Tiffany Haddish, Taraji P. Henson, Jane Fonda, Mary Steenburgen, Candace Bergen, Diane Keaton, Johnny Knoxville, Hailee Steinfeld, John Cena, Angela Bassett, Simon Pegg, Henry Cavill, Rachel Platten, Tom Cruise and several more!

BOOK CLUB
May 18, 2018
Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, Mary Steenburgen, Bill Holderman, Erin Simms

ACTION POINT
June 1, 2018
Johnny Knoxville

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FALLOUT
July 27, 2018
Tom Cruise, Henry Cavill, Simon Pegg, Angela Bassett, Christopher McQuarrie

UNTITLED TYLER PERRY MOVIE
November 2, 2018
Tiffany Haddish

BUMBLEBEE
December 21, 2018
Hailee Steinfeld, John Cena, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., Travis Knight

WHAT MEN WANT
January 11, 2019
Taraji P. Henson

WONDER PARK
March 15, 2019
Rachel Platten

See the stars:

Exciting stuff! Things we never thought we’d see: our faves Rachel Platten and Tom Cruise side-by-side in a pic! Love it!

(Photo credit: Paramount Pictures/Getty Images)

Universal Pictures Canada x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to see BLOCKERS. Screenings take place as follows on April 4, 2018:

TORONTO 7 PM Cineplex Yonge & Eglinton

MONTREAL 7 PM Cineplex Forum

EDMONTON 7 PM Cineplex South Commons

VANCOUVER 7 PM Cineplex International Village

CALGARY 7 PM Landmark Shawnessy

Synopsis:
When three parents stumble upon their daughters’ pact to lose their virginity at prom, they launch a covert one-night operation to stop the teens from sealing the deal. Leslie Mann (The Other Woman, This Is 40), Ike Barinholtz (Neighbors, Suicide Squad) and John Cena (Trainwreck, Sisters) star in Blockers, the directorial debut of Kay Cannon (writer of the Pitch Perfect series).

See the Trailer:

Artwork:

To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK and indicate your City. Tell us in the comments there about one time your parents caught you up to no good! Re-Tweet this Contest Tweet from @mrwillw for an extra chance!

Universal Pictures Canada release BLOCKERS Friday, April 6, 2018.

(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures Canada)