Jackpot! Director Paul Feig Reveals Sequel Plans, Hopes to Expand to "International Franchise" (Exclusive)
Jackpot! is now streaming on Prime Video.
Earlier this month, Prime Video premiered Jackpot!, a Paul Feig-directed action-comedy that effectively merges the worlds of Grand Theft Auto and The Purge. As the story goes, the state of California hosts a regular lottery with a high-figure cash prize. Whoever wins that day's lottery has to survive until sundown to claim their prize, as lottery rules allow fellow Los Angeleans to kill the lottery winner and take hold of their prize. Katie (Awkwafina) accidentally enrolls and wins, leading her to enlist the freelance protection services of Noel (John Cena) to keep her safe until sundown.
Paul Feig Reveals Jackpot! Sequel Plans
Prime Video may have a new film franchise on its hands.
Speaking to ComicBook, Jackpot! director Paul Feig revealed that the creative team on his latest flick have envisioned franchise expansion plans from the jump.
"We from the very beginning have thought this could be an international franchise," Feig said. "It would be fun to see what other countries do with their own lottery."
Jackpot! topped Prime Video's charts within its first week of release. Much of that success can be attributed to the leading pair of Awkwafina and John Cena, two stars who have had their action-comedy stocks rise significantly in recent years. In the past half-decade, Awkwafina has had starring roles in franchises like Jumanji, Kung Fu Panda, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the form of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Cena embraced a full-time acting career in the mid-2010s and has credits in blockbuster franchises like Fast & Furious, Transformers, and the DC Universe through both The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker, the latter of which he has been filming the second season.
Feig is aware of the level of talent he has in the Jackpot! ensemble, as he noted that the hopeful Jackpot! sequel picks up with Cena and Awkwafina's characters.
"That said, I really would like to do a few more with John and Nora (Awkwafina) because I already know what I would want the second movie to be," Feig teased. "I think it'd be really fun to watch them now that Katie's used to it, how she's going to use her smarts and skills to help protect somebody else and then who that person would be so. It could be a whole franchise."
Jackpot! is now streaming on Prime Video.
