Between his hilarious stand-up comedy specials, unforgettable performance on Parks and Recreation, and the landmark Master of None series on Netflix, Aziz Ansari has accomplished a lot over the past decade-and-a-half. Soon, the multi-talented star will add film director to his resume when his new movie, Good Fortune, has its world premiere.
If this is the first you’re hearing of Ansari’s new comedy film that will see him share the screen with Keanu Reeves and Seth Rogen, as well as several other notable stars, don’t worry, because we’re about to break it all down. Here’s everything we know about Good Fortune, which sounds like one of the most promising upcoming comedies, at this time point in time.
What Is The Good Fortune Release Date?
Though we would love to have a release date for Good Fortune to share with the world, the truth is Lionsgate, the film’s distributor, has yet to reveal when Aziz Ansari’s new comedy is going to land in theaters. With footage having been shown at CinemaCon 2024 and production nearing completion (more on both of those in a bit), it shouldn’t be too much longer before we receive word of a release date or at least a release window at some point in the next few months.
Good Fortune Follows Two Friends Who Switch Places And The Guardian Angel Who Makes It Happen
When Good Fortune does eventually find its way to theaters, Aziz Ansari’s new movie will follow two friends (played by Ansari and Seth Rogen) as they switch lives and learn a great deal about the world, life, and themselves in the process. Helping this all go down is what was described during the Lionsgate panel at CinemaCon 2024, which was attended by CinemaBlend’s Sean O’Connell, as a “budget guardian angel” played by Keanu Reeves.
With the poor and struggling friend taking the place of his more successful buddy, and the other way around, they will begin to see what everyday life is like for one another, which forever changes how they see the world. What ends up happening, and changing in their lives, as a result of this little experiment is anyone’s guess at this point, and we’ll have to wait and see it for ourselves somewhere down the road.
When Can We Expect A Good Fortune Trailer?
Neither Lionsgate nor Aziz Ansari have announced exactly when the world will get to see the Good Fortune trailer, but we know that one exists in some shape or form. During the aforementioned CinemaCon 2024 panel, Ansari unveiled a closed-door trailer that provided what appeared to be a detailed peek at his new comedy movie. As stated in CinemaBlend’s live blog of an event that also saw big reveals about the upcoming Ballerina film (which also features Keanu Reeves) and Eli Roth’s Borderlands adaptation, the trailer and movie both look great.
Expect to hear much more about the Good Fortune trailer in the weeks and months to come, as it appears to be a case of “sooner rather than later” when it comes to its reveal.
Aziz Ansari, Seth Rogen And Keanu Reeves Lead The Good Fortune Cast
A movie like this is going to require a group of actors with a lot of experience and versatility, and luckily for everyone, the Good Fortune cast has that in spades. Back in April 2023, Variety reported that Aziz Ansari, Seth Rogen, and Keanu Reeves would be leading its cast.
Each of these actors is more than capable of handling a comedic premise that pretty much comes down to a guardian angel helping two friends trade places, even Reeves. Though mostly known for being at the center of some of the best action movies like The Matrix and the various John Wick films, Reeves’ work in the Bill & Ted franchise speaks volumes, as do his hilarious and random appearances in Always Be My Maybe and Toy Story 4.
But these three won’t be alone in Good Fortune, as the supporting cast is shaping up to be just as strong. In January 2024, Variety reported that Nope star Keke Palmer had joined the cast. Three months later, Deadline revealed that Sandra Oh, who most recently starred in Quiz Lady, would also be co-starring.
In April 2023, it was revealed that former Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, who ended his 1,316-day title run in the bonkers WrestleMania 40 main event, was involved with the movie after Palmer posted a picture of him in her Snapchat Story (via Comicbook.com). Though his character hasn’t been revealed, he was spotted sitting in some kind of vault surrounded by women, money, and gold bars.
Good Fortune Is Aziz Ansari’s Feature Film Directorial Debut
Though Aziz Ansari directed nearly a dozen episodes of his Master of None series on Netflix between 2015 and 2021, the comedian has never completed a feature film as a director. That will change with Good Fortune, as Ansari both wrote and directed the upcoming comedy in addition to starring in it, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Ansari was originally slated to make his feature film directorial debut a few years ago with Being Mortal, a dramedy starring Bill Murray. However, shortly after filming began in February 2022, production was suspended after an on-set complaint of inappropriate behavior by Murray, according to RollingStone. Murray later addressed the controversy, telling CNBC he thought he was doing something funny but it wasn’t taken that way. Production never resumed.
After Being Delayed Due To The 2023 Strikes, Production On Good Fortune Resumed In January 2024
Production on Good Fortune initially got underway in May 2023, but the shoot, like so many others, was suspended indefinitely due to the WGA Writers Strike, according to The Hollywood Reporter. What started as a short break turned into a months-long delay for Ansari’s directorial debut, which eventually resumed principal photography in January 2024, as revealed in an Instagram post by Keke Palmer.
Most of the shoot had been completed by the time CinemaCon 2024 rolled around in April, it was revealed that Reeves still had to complete a few more scenes after he recovered from a fractured knee he suffered after tripping on a rug in his trailer.
Expect to hear much more about Good Fortune soon. But, in the meantime, don’t forget to check out our 2024 movie calendar for all the latest big-screen releases coming out this year.