PopHorror Let's Get Scared
I have to say… Director Gore Verbinski (The Ring – 2002) choosing Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die for his first film in nine years was the absolute best thing to do. We last saw Gore with 2016’s A Cure for Wellness and fans have been waiting impatiently for his next project. And he’s so back! Starring Sam Rockwell, Haley Lu Richardson, Juno Temple, Michael Peña, and Zazie Beetz, Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die is a wildly unique, inventive, in-your-face sci-fi think piece that audiences need right now. It’s relevant. It will invoke discussions that need to be had about the dangers of AI and the effect and consumption of technology in our lives and society as a whole, and you know what? It’s pretty fucking terrifying.
A “Man From the Future” arrives at a diner in Los Angeles where he must recruit the precise combination of disgruntled patrons to join him on a one-night quest to save the world from the terminal threat of a rogue artificial intelligence
To celebrate the release of the film, I chatted with stars Michael Peña (Narcos: Mexico) and Zazie Beetz (Joker) via Zoom about working together, their favorite scene, and more!
PopHorror: What intrigued you about the script and made you want to be a part of the project?
Zazie Beetz: I just really resonated with the message of the script. I thought the world needs to see this, hear this, needs to feel this in the way that I feel this, and I think most people will agree with the message of fuck AI.
Michael Peña: Fuck AI!
Zazie Beetz: Humans are winners and I just needed that to happen. I was very passionate about the script and I was like, I wanna be in this movie.
Michael Peña: I actually thought, I haven’t read a script like this, and I can’t believe they’re making this type of movie where there’s not some major car chases and stuff and super crazy AI. I thought it was so inventive and I couldn’t believe they were making this movie. It was such a pleasure to read and I just really wanted to be in the movie. It always starts with the script. Well, at least for me.
Zazie Beetz: For me too.
Michael Peña: It starts with the script. It’s almost like having a chef and he doesn’t have a bad recipe. The recipe has to be there in order for there to be a final good dish, and then hopefully we’re the ingredients to that.
PopHorror: You’re right. This movie is very unique, and it moved me with its chaotic and engaging social commentary on our consumption of technology. What scene are you most proud of?
Michael Peña: I like the roof scene.
Zazie Beetz: I like our roof scene too.
Michael Peña: That was crazy, yeah, that was really cool. I like our backstory. The backstory was really fun.
Zazie Beetz: That was fun to shoot. Remember the moment when we were in the house and we had the helmets on and stuff, and our characters are finally agreeing on something? Do you know what I’m talking about? Where we’re talking about the kids had the phones?
Michael Peña: Oh, yeah, yeah!
Zazie Beetz: I feel like in that moment you and I… Because the whole movie, this arc is our characters coming back together and that was the moment we definitively found it but it sort of happened organically in that moment, too.
Michael Peña: I remember we did one of these [gasps].
Zazie Beetz: Yeah, and we were like, “Lalala” and our energy was building. That was so fun to shoot!
Michael Peña: Yeah, that was cool!
Zazie Beetz: Watching the movie back, I was like, “Oh, I think that reads there!”
Michael Peña: It’s like a super nerdy moment, I guess you could say, between a couple of actors.
PopHorror: I have to say that I loved your chemistry together. I think it was a perfect fit. Thank you so much for this movie because t’s fantastic. I had so much fun watching it and I cannot wait for more people to see it.
Michael Peña: Oh, thank you, thank you! Really appreciate it.
Zazie Beetz: Thanks!
Thank you so much to Zazie and Michael for chatting with us. Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die is in theaters February 13, 2026!
