Gore Verbinski Talks GOOD LUCK, HAVE FUN, DON'T DIE and Working with Sam Rockwell
- 4 hours ago
- 2 min read
By Shannon McGrew
In Gore Verbinski’s newest film, GOOD LUCK, HAVE FUN, DON’T DIE, a man (Sam Rockwell) claiming to be from the future takes the patrons of an iconic Los Angeles diner hostage in search of unlikely recruits in a quest to save the world.
For the upcoming release of GOOD LUCK, HAVE FUN, DON’T DIE, Creepy Kingdom’s Shannon McGrew spoke with director Gore Verbinski (A Cure for Wellness). During their chat, they discussed everything from the film's mischievous tone to Sam Rockwell's wild performance at the center of this bonkers sci-fi thriller.
Thank you so much for speaking with me today. I read a quote of yours from the press notes that said, “If you’re not a little mischievous, you’re blind to the absurdity of life.” With that in mind, how did that shape the way you staged the chaos inside Norm’s Diner?
Gore Verbinski: I think, overall, it’s a good way to navigate life. It’s not so much a directing point-of-view as, I think, a life point-of-view. It creeps into everything. It’s just a little prankster energy, you know? It keeps things buoyant, fun, and interesting.
I would enjoy having Sam Rockwell guiding me through the AI apocalypse. How did you and Sam work together to balance his crazy, frantic energy, along with the deep sadness that’s inside of him?
Gore Verbinski: I think all of those sort of rogue performances have a kind of sad clown and a true want. You see that in Dog Day Afternoon (1975) and Sonny’s performance. You’re very clear with what the inner pain is, and it keeps things dangerous, keeps the paranoia alive. There’s nobody like Sam Rockwell. It was nice for me to change a little bit in how I direct.
You have that process of intention versus discovery. You want to have enough intention going in so that you’re fending off mediocrity and are being inventive. So, you want to plan, but you don’t want to be blind to the gifts. There are so many gifts with Sam, you just don’t know what he’s going to do. So, keep things loose and fluid. Momentum, particularly that opening sequence, was just all about tempo, and not letting him out of the suit, even with 40 pounds of electronics on it.
With this coming out on Valentine’s Day weekend, what is the conversation you hope couples take away from this?
Gore Verbinski: It’s therapeutic, right? [Laughs]. You could say it’s bonkers, but I think bonkers can be anxiety-reducing because you ingest it and then it’s a cleanse, it’s a mental cleanse. I wouldn’t want to define the conversation, but I think people should go have some pie at Norm's and talk about the movie. Have conflicting opinions about the movie. That would be great!
GOOD LUCK, HAVE FUN, DON’T DIE arrives in theaters on February 13, 2026.
