Interview: John Cena and Paul Feig discuss surviving an absurd lottery in a dystopian California in Jackpot!

We discuss surviving the Grand Lottery and taking action to the next level with Jackpot! star John Cena and director Paul Feig

Last Updated on August 12, 2024

Everyone fantasizes about winning the lottery. Who would you tell about your life-changing windfall? What’s the first thing you’d spend your winnings on? Would you still try your luck if winning means you’ll need to survive until sundown to claim your prize? That’s how the Grand Lottery in Jackpot! works. For some, it’s a blessing. For others, it means everyone with a spinning moral compass is trying to kill you. Thankfully, Jackpot! star John Cena and the film’s director, Paul Feig, are here to give us some inside tips about surviving America’s deadliest game.

During our chat with John Cena, we compare Jackpot! ‘s slapstick action to Mr. Money in the Bank’s wrestling feats, uncover comedic influences, and learn about the synchronized choreography of Feig’s madcap film. Speaking with Paul Feig, we discover how he’s bringing action to the next level with his latest feature, including how to direct hundreds of people through a non-stop roller coaster of fists, gunfire, and deception.

Jackpot! Paul Feig, John Cena, Awkwafina, interview

The official synopsis for Jackpot! reads:

“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.”

The film stars Awkwafina, John Cena, Ayden Mayeri, Donald Elise Watkins, Sam Asghari, Murray Hill, and Simu Liu. JACKPOT! is produced by Joe Roth, Jeff Kirschenbaum, Paul Feig, and Laura Fischer. John Cena, Michelle Morrissey, Rob Yescombe, and Zack Roth are the executive producers.

Who would you hire to help protect you until sundown in Jackpot!‘s life-and-death lottery game? Let us know in the comments section below.

Jackpot! enters a contest of survival on Prime Video on August 15.

Source: JoBlo

About the Author

Born and raised in New York, then immigrated to Canada, Steve Seigh has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. He started with Ink & Pixel, a column celebrating the magic and evolution of animation, before launching the companion YouTube series Animation Movies Revisited. He's also the host of the Talking Comics Podcast, a personality-driven audio show focusing on comic books, film, music, and more. You'll rarely catch him without headphones on his head and pancakes on his breath.