John Cena on working with Awkwafina for Jackpot!, his own stunts and DC

John Cena takes his skills as an action and comedy star to a new level with Jackpot!. Under the direction of A simple favorPaul Feig’s action comedy is set in California in the near future, where poverty and unemployment are at an all-time high and the state lottery is supposed to offer people the chance of an exciting new life. The lottery has a catch, however: whoever wins is hunted by others, and whoever kills the winner before sunset can claim their jackpot.

Jackpot! It centers on Katie, played by Golden Globe winner Awkwafina, a former child actress who returns to California to resume her acting career after leaving the country to care for her ailing, now deceased mother. When she wins the largest jackpot in lottery history, Katie is forced to flee and eventually meets Cenas Noel, a lottery protector who is looking to make a name for himself in the industry. The stakes are higher for both of them than ever before, and Katie’s survival could change their lives forever.

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In addition to Awkwafina and Cena, the ensemble Jackpot! The cast unites the former with her Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings Co-Stars: Simu Liu, Seann William Scott, Ayden Mayeri, Dolly de Leon, Donald Elise Watkins and Machine Gun Kelly. Combining fast-paced action with a fast-paced story, hilarious buddy comedy between the leads and stylish direction, the film is an exciting treat for genre fans.

In honor of the release of the film Screen Rant interviewed John Cena to discuss Jackpot!how he builds comedic chemistry with Awkwafina, how he performed his own stunts in the film and took inspiration from Jackie Chan’s action style, and how he skillfully dodges a question from DC.

Finding a comedic rhythm with Awkwafina was a “Fast process” For Cena

The film is both a buddy comedy and a futuristic action thriller. Jackpot! offers Awkwafina and Cena plenty of time to build a comedic relationship together. For Cena, building this dynamic with his co-star was a “fast process“, and he praised Ron Yescombe’s script for playing to the strengths of both:

John Cena: It was a quick process. The shooting was quick, but I wouldn’t have it any other way because we got into a rhythm and a routine pretty quickly. Awkwafina’s comedy style is fantastic and I think the script capitalized on those strengths. And it also allowed me to create a more patient buffer to use my strengths. So we were able to immediately create an environment where we were comfortable being each other as we were. And I think that’s important.

Cena worked closely with Jackpot!‘s stunt team for Jackie Chan style stunts

Cena has now become a respected figure in the action genre, with everything from his role as Peacemaker in the DC Universe to Jakob Toretto in Fast and Furious Franchise. When it comes to implementing action sequences, Cena often works with stunt coordinators to find the perfect harmony between their vision and his skills, which Jackpot! This eventually allowed him to perform his own stunts with his double Spencer Thomas for a Jackie Chan-style action comedy:

John Cena: I think I give some guidance when I can tell a coordinator what I can and can’t do. I never want to choreograph matches and I never want to clip the wings of a talented coordinator. So when they come in with a preview or ideas, I basically just tell them what skills I have and what I can do. If I’m supposed to learn a new skill, I say, “This is how long it’s going to take me to learn,” so they can decide if I’m going to do the move or if Spencer Thomas, my double, is going to step in and do the move.

On this film, a lot of the action was practical and right up my alley, so I got to be a part of it a lot, which was great. And really, hats off to our stunt team for trying to tell this action comedy story like Jackie Chan. Jackie is the greatest physical storyteller of our generation and it was nice to be able to follow in his footsteps a little bit.

Future questions about the DC Universe should be directed to James Gunn

In addition to Jackpot!Cena is currently busy filming Peacemaker Season 2, which is set in James Gunn’s new DC Universe rather than the DC Extended Universe it was previously a part of. When asked if Season 2 will show more connections to Gunn’s broader franchise plans, Cena skillfully dodges the question by pointing to the real person who is supposed to ask the question:

John Cena: That’s a great James Gunn question. I appreciate you asking that, but you’ve got the wrong guy. (laughs)

To Jackpot!

In the near future, a new “grand lottery” has been created in California – the catch: you must kill the winner before sundown to legally claim their multi-billion dollar jackpot. When Katie Kim (Awkwafina) moves to Los Angeles, she inadvertently finds herself in possession of the winning ticket. Desperate to escape the hordes of jackpot hunters, she reluctantly teams up with amateur lottery protection agent Noel Cassidy (John Cena), who does everything in his power to get her to sundown in exchange for a share of her winnings. However, Noel must contend with his cunning rival Louis Lewis (Simu Liu), who also wants to pocket Katie’s commission at any cost. JACKPOT! was directed by Paul Feig and written by Rob Yescombe.

Stay tuned for our other Jackpot! Interview with Awkwafina and Paul Feig.

Source: Screen Rant Plus

Jack-o-lantern! (2024)

Set in near-future California, the state introduces a high-stakes “Grand Lottery” with a deadly twist: To win the prize, the winner must survive until sunset without being killed by other participants. The action comedy follows Katie, a newcomer to Los Angeles, played by Awkwafina, who suddenly has a winning ticket.

director

Paul Feig

Release date

15 August 2024

Studio(s)

Amazon MGM Studios

Authors

Rob Yescombe

Duration

104 minutes

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