Exclusive: Awkwafina and Paul Feig on Jackpot

In Jackpot! An unsuspecting woman wins a multi-billion dollar lottery. The catch, however, is that everyone in California has a shot at killing the winner before sunset to claim the jackpot for themselves. Directed by Paul Feig, the film which features Awkwafina, John Cena, Simu Liu and more, is an action comedy that moves at break-neck speed. The film plays out a high-octane chase but that doesn’t mean the characters’ feelings take a backseat. Between the big set pieces and the hilarious banter lies an overarching message about the cut-throat entertainment industry.

In an exclusive interview with Filmfare, Awkwafina and Paul Feig opened up about making an exhilarating action comedy set in a dystopian California that doubles up as a satire on showbiz.

Awkwafina, what was it like reuniting with your Shang-Chi co-star Simu Liu?

Awkwafina: It was awesome! Simu is a great guy and he joined the cast a little later. I didn’t originally know that he was in the movie. Sometimes it was a little bizarre because he’s a villain in this movie. I’d get flashbacks to Shang-Chi and I’d think this is very weird. But it was so much fun.

What was it like working with John Cena?

Awkwafina: John is amazing. He’s so impressive and professional. He’s also all about safety with his background so I really enjoyed doing stunt scenes with him. It felt so safe with him. He’s very intelligent and reads tons of books. So we had all these long conversations over and above him being such a great scene partner.

What went into doing the stunts for the action scenes?

Awkwafina: I’ve been in action movies in the past but this is definitely a lot. I had to really get into fitness for this one. I really respect stunt teams but our stunt team – director James Young, my stunt double Kiera O’Connor was amazing. Stunts might look like people are winging it but it’s really careful rehearsals for weeks on end. That’s why it looks so slow and smooth over fast and sloppy, is that what they say? I don’t know what they say but it sounds cool. But yeah, it’s a lot of hard work from a lot of people.

Awkwafina, since Hollywood is such a competitive industry, did you relate to Katie’s struggles?

Awkwafina: I found myself resonating with Katie so much and especially in that way. It is a tough town and it’s so brutal. As seen in the movie, it is such a cut-throat industry. That’s probably the most believable part of the dystopian reality the movie is set in.

The film doubles up as a commentary on Hollywood. Paul, how did you go about fleshing that out along with the action?

Paul: It all goes hand in hand. Hollywood is such a whacky place and I’ve been here since I was 18 years old and I’m 61 now. I was an actor for a long time too so I took particular joy in doing all these terrible audition scenes which were very triggering for me because that’s how it really happens. You go into this room and There’s a bunch of people waiting and you stand there in front of a screen reading while they stare at you like you’re terrible. It was fun to put that on top of an action comedy because it makes you invest in the character even more and go, “Oh my god, this poor thing is going through so much.”

Paul, what went into balancing the exposition with the emotions in the film?

Paul: You have to be worried about the characters and care about them. What I loved about this movie is that Nora’s character is likeable because you see her defending a little girl on a bus then you see her doing all these auditions. But once the action begins, I just like it to be a big thrill ride all the way till the middle of the movie. You meet John but he’s just there protecting her, like her we don’t know if he’s legit. But later in the movie, you get to know their full stories. Giving people a lot upfront and then letting them settle down when they’re feeling exhausted and just when you feel like you’re going to get to know them better, off you go again with the action.

Jackpot! will release on August 15, 2024 on OTT.