Gore Verbinski’s decade-long absence was caused by high-budget films becoming box-office flops. His desire to work on original content soon faded away due to studios’ demand for sequels and established franchises.
Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die trailer breaks Verbinski’s long hiatus, and the action-comedy is scheduled for release on February 13 this year.
Plot details of Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die (2026)
A man from the future (played by Sam Rockwell) claims that he has come from a dystopian future and has a responsibility to save the world that has fallen victim to technology and AI.
The trailer shows the future man entering a Los Angeles diner and making everyone hostage, aiming to recruit those who would help him in the quest for one night. Hit play on the trailer:
Judging from the trailer, humanity might have to face a cold, dark future because as soon as he enters the trailer, nobody seems to notice him. However, after taking extreme measures, the recruits to his grand plan are seen in action, doing everything possible, even if it means causing mayhem, to stop humanity from falling into the abyss of mass AI harm.
The harms could be unfathomable: AI-controlled zombie teenagers, masked criminals, and massive wired enormities are some of the dangers that the future man’s team has to deal with. He has full confidence in his crew, as he isn’t afraid to set the world back on track.
The suggested tone of the trailer blends chaotic humor with existential dread, echoing Verbinski’s tendency to use absurdity as a gateway to darker themes.
Director’s vision for the film
Gore Verbinski is coming back after a decade, as his last venture was A Cure for Wellness (2016). He is the creator behind some of Hollywood’s popular movies like Pirates of the Caribbean first three films, Rango (2011), and The Ring (2002).
The R-rated sci-fi film, Good Luck, Have Fun, shows people having to tackle the anxieties of the modern world and technology taking over their lives. AI, in particular, begins to dominate people’s lives. Rather than presenting AI as a helpful tool, the trailer frames it as a dictator of human lives, beginning to take the shape of an overwhelming system that exploits human fears and dependency.
Looking back at Verbinski’s directorial ventures, his style is marked with bold visual world-building, heightened tone, and a fascination with systems that trap or manipulate people. A decaying wellness spa, a cursed videotape, or bureaucratic chaos explicitly indicate the worlds that are both fantastical and deeply uncomfortable.
His films make use of exaggerated production design, stylized camera movements, and immersive soundscapes so that an intense experience of riskier territories is explored. The same tactic is seen in Good Luck, Have Fun, as beneath the surface of entertainment-driven spectacle is an unease of AI takeover that comes with obsession and loss of control. It painfully leads us to think what if such a world exists in the future, which is a terrifying thought in itself.
As per Deadline, the Oscar-winning director revealed his worries regarding AI that has stripped humanity of the desire to engagae more in the arts and overreliance on it to solve real-world problems. He said,
“It’s inescapable. It’s coming. It’s inevitable. I’m both apprehensive and excited, [but] it’s terrifying at the same time, and I think the title of our film is sort of a mantra right now. You can either ignore it, or you can be afraid of it, or you can surf it.” [Source]
Is the Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die trailer hinting at an AI apocalypse?
Hollywood people have been open about the infiltration of AI into our lives, as Leonardo DiCaprio also thinks that AI “dissipates” the creativity and has “no humanity to it”. Where AI should have been used as an “enhancement tool” for filmmaking, but now it is exploited in all possible ways.
The same stands true for everyday human lives. Artificial intelligence appears woven into everyday systems- communication, surveillance, and decision-making. The trailer suggests that humanity isn’t wiped out by machines overnight; it is a slow, catalytic event spiraling beyond human control.
The trailer does not include a traditional robots-versus-humans war but an overwhelming dethroning of humans by algorithms, automation, and digital dependence. In Verbinski’s style, the film would be messy, preposterous, and unsettling, intending to merge satire with dread.
Zazie Beetz is seen in the trailer, sitting in the same diner when the man from the future arrives. Her upcoming film, They Will Kill You, presents her in an unapologetic, ruthless action avatar. We don’t know whether we will be able to see her in the same look in Good Luck, Have Fun too.
When is Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die (2026) releasing?
Briarcliff Entertainment will release Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die (2026) in theatres everywhere on February 13, 2026.
Genre: Action, comedy, sci-fi
Cast: Sam Rockwell, Haley Lu Richardson, Michael Pena, Zazie Beetz, Asim Chaudhry
Director: Gore Verbinski
Writer: Matthew Robinson
Producers: Gore Verbinski, Robert Kulzer, Erwin Stoff, Oliver Obst, Denise Chamian
Release date: February 13, 2026
Movie runtime: 2 hours 14 minutes
Does Gore Verbinski’s vision reflect where we’re truly headed with technology? Let us know in the comments.
Passionate Entertainment Writer | Trusted Pop Culture Voice
Madiha Ali is an experienced entertainment writer with over five years of expertise in covering movies, TV shows, celebrity news, and pop culture. Her bylines appear on trusted platforms like High on Films, Ary News, The Express Tribune, Tea and Banter, Show Snob, CelebFeedz, Snapfeedz, Daily Planet Media, The Irish Insider, and Movie Insiderz.
She brings a personal, insightful approach to every story—whether she’s analyzing the emotional layers of a film or giving her take on trending celebrity headlines. Madiha’s writing style is known for being authentic, well-researched, and reader-focused.
When she’s not writing, she’s fully immersed in the world of entertainment—watching new releases, revisiting classics, exploring behind-the-scenes content, or reading books that fuel her creativity. Her passion for storytelling drives her work and helps her stay connected to what matters most in the industry.
Madiha believes great stories start conversations, challenge perspectives, and stay with us long after the credits roll. Through her writing, she continues to share those stories with clarity, depth, and heart.
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