Jackpot! interview: Awkwafina and Paul Feig reveal behind-the-scenes secrets from their post-apocalyptic caper

Jackpot! sees former child actress Katie Kim move to Los Angeles on the hunt for fame and fortune after personal tragedy. Ironically she gets exactly what she wished for, but in the most terrifying way possible!

Set in 2023, Katie ( Ocean’s 8 star Awkwafina) unwittingly becomes the holder of a futuristic lottery ticket worth $3.6 billion dollars, but there’s a state-sanctioned catch —  anyone who kills the winner without using a gun before sunset can claim the prize for themselves.

With a target on her back, Katie reluctantly teams up with amateur protection agent Noel (WWF wrestler John Cena), who in turn plays out his fierce rivalry with his ridiculously successful rival Louis Lewis ( Barbie ’s Simu Liu) in this mile-a-minute laugh-out-loud comedy from Bridesmaids and Ghostbusters director Paul Feig.

What to Watch sat down with Awkwafina and Paul Feig to learn more about Jackpot! …

Jackpot! interview

When did you realise you wanted to make Jackpot!?

Paul Feig: “I got about 40 pages into Rob Yescombe’s script and realised I didn’t need to finish it - I had to make this movie! For me, truly high stakes for the characters make everything funnier; the best comedy has danger in it. You also have to invest in the characters and this script had it all that from the start.”

Awkwafina: “I had a ton of fun reading the script too. The story exists in its own, near-future world, and Rob has found the perfect mix of twists and turns with a deranged sense of humour. I was also super intrigued by the portrayal of a post-apocalyptic near future. There is definitely darkness and greed, as well as a kind of collective scarcity mentality that conveys a kind of ominous message.”

Is this your first time working together?

Awkwafina: “Yes and Paul is a dream director. He’s collaborative, generous with his time, playful and explorative. There’s never a moment when you feel that your opinion doesn’t matter.”

Paul Feig: “We’ve known each other for years and always wanted to work together. Katie jumped off the page as a great role for her. Awkwafina is so funny and game for anything, yet brings a sense of reality to even the most absurd goings on, which is the only way a movie like this can work. There’s a whole sequence at the end where… actually, I’m not going to give anything away, but let’s just say, she’s a great actor.”

Did John Cena surprise you during filming?

Paul Feig: “Yes, he surprised me every day on set with how good he was - he's a really good actor, he's super funny, so precise, but also willing to play. We couldn't love him more could we?”

Awkwafina: “Yeah, and he’s the perfect scene partner. He’s very professional, especially when we were doing the stunts. With his background he’s very big on safety, which made me feel very safe with him. He’s a really impressive, intelligent and funny guy.”

What do you think makes Katie the perfect character for this caper?

Awkwafina: “The best characters you can play are multi-layered, and there's a lot going on in Katie’s psyche. I genuinely felt bad for her, yet the zany action is enhanced by her backstory!”

Paul Feig: "Plus she doesn’t even know the lottery exists when she gets thrown into this thing so you feel her panic and how affected she is about being in danger. She has to fight out of necessity and panic. I always say that my comedies are just dramas that are fun. You have to have that underpinning of emotion and reality, or everything’s just jokes and the audience will get bored."

Finally, what are your hopes for the movie?

Paul Feig: “I just hope that people walk away thinking ‘that was really fun’.”

Jackpot! is available on Prime Video from Thursday, August 15, 2024.

Runtime: 1 hour, 44 minutes

Rated: R

Jackpot! — cast

The film stars Awkwafina ( Crazy Rich Asians , The Farewell ),

John Cena ( Peacemaker , The Suicide Squad )

Simu Liu ( Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings , Kim’s Convenience )

Ayden Mayeri ( I Love That for You , Big Mouth )

Donald Elise Watkins ( Fly Me to the Moon , Your Honor )

Murray Hill ( Somebody Somewhere )

Seann William Scott ( American Pie , Lethal Weapon)

Becky Ann Baker ( Big Little Lies , Girls , Freaks and Geeks )

Producers are Laura Fischer ( The School for Good and Evil ), Jeff Kirschenbaum ( Maleficent: Mistress of Evil ), Joe Roth ( Bachelor Party ) and Paul Feig.

Executive producers are Zack Roth ( Hustle ), Michelle Morrissey ( A Family Affair ), Rob Yescombe and John Cena.

Jackpot! is directed by Paul Feig.