Venom: The Last Dance star Juno Temple is offering up some interesting details about her new film with legendary director Gore Verbinski. While promoting the final installment of the Venom franchise, in which she reprises her role as Dr. Payne, Temple dished on her upcoming film with Verbinski. The Oscar-winning director is set to make his long-awaited return to the big screen with Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die, his first film in eight years.
Known for 2002’s The Ring, Disney’s first three Pirates of the Caribbean films, and Rango, Verbinski has a singular style and method of filmmaking. The auteur reportedly plans out projects but then allows the film to evolve on set, increasing the potential for creativity and delightful accidents. His films Rango and The Lone Ranger are strange, but in a delightfully weird way, like Edward Scissorhands.
Verbinski’s new film, Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die, stars Temple, Haley Lu Richardson, Sam Rockwell, Michael Peña, and Zazie Beetz. Set in modern-day Los Angeles, the plot follows a time-traveler from the future who must unite a seemingly unconnected group of strangers in a diner in order to save the world from a mysterious threat.
In a recent interview with Collider, Temple confirmed that filming for the feature wrapped a couple of months ago in South Africa. She praised the Verbinski’s energy on set, calling the director’s vibe “infectious.” Temple also gushed over the script and its thought-provoking themes, saying,
“The movie with Gore, I’m so excited about. The script is wild and brilliant. It’s gonna have some really interesting things to talk about, really interesting topics. It has one of the coolest casts ever, led by Sam Rockwell, who I just adore. Gore’s like a big kid. He’s super excited about what he’s doing and what he’s making. He sees the whole thing before you’re even on the set. It’s a sci-fi, dark comedy. I’m really excited about it.”
Where Has Gore Verbinski Been?
Verbinski’s last film was 2016’s A Cure for Wellness. The psychological horror film received mixed reviews from critics and audiences. Many praised the slick visuals, atmosphere, and the performances from Mia Goth, Dane DeHaan, and Jason Isaacs. But critics also noted a few plot holes and derivative storylines. The film earned a 42% on Rotten Tomatoes from both critics and viewers.
The director was previously attached to a solo X-Men film for Channing Tatum’s Gambit, however Verbinski walked away from the project citing bad timing and the lack of a good script. In 2008, Verbinski was also set to direct a feature adaptation of the video game BioShock for Universal. However, that film would also be canceled after disagreements on budget and a rating for the film. Back in 2021, Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin posted an update on his blog about the Sandkings adaptation, saying that Verbinski would be at the helm of the project which was in development. It’s unclear if or when we might get another update.
Details about Temple’s character in Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die are still under wraps. There is no release date for the film yet. However, readers can watch Temple as Dr. Payne in Venom: The Last Dance, in theaters this weekend.