Keanu Reeves as Gabriel, Seth Rogen as Jeff, and Aziz Ansari as Arj have a fateful meeting in ‘Good Fortune.’ (Photo: Eddy Chen)
Aziz Ansari, who cut his comedy chops in New York City and earned an Emmy and Golden Globe for television work, will finally make his big screen directorial debut in comedy “Good Fortune.”
It hasn’t been an easy road.
He was all set to debut directing “Being Mortal,” a 2022 film he wrote and was also set to star in.
But Searchlight Pictures pulled the plug on production after co-star Bill Murray, was bounced from the picture for allegedly sexually harassing a young woman on the set.
Without Murray, the film needed a major rewrite, co-star Keke Palmer told Variety, causing Searchlight to bail. Ansari was unable to pull together another financier and distributor, and the project was shelved.
But in the end that may have been his good fortune (no pun intended… well maybe).
Ansari is back with his new comedy film. It hit a roadblock in May 2023 when principal photography was caught up in the Writers Guild of America strike.
Good Fortune… What could go wrong? (Photo; Lionsgate)
Filming finally picked up in January a year ago and wrapped the following April. It has cleared all the hurdles and is set to debut at the Toronto Film Festival this Fall before its U.S. theatrical release in October.
Ansari has pulled aboard Palmer and Seth Rogen from “Being Mortal” and they will join a strong cast that includes Keanu Reeves and Sandra Oh.
Fallen angels are always good fodder for movies and have been themed in several pictures. “What sets them apart is their artful blend of divine themes with intricate character development, leaving viewers enthralled by the interplay of good and evil,” according to movie site Collider.
Most films featuring fallen angels — Prophecy II” (1998), “Gabriel” (2007), “The Messengers” (2015),” and “Angels Fallen: Warriors of Peace (2024)” — play off good and evil.
Reeves plays angel Gabriel, but has a different mission — and problem. He’s a “budget angel,” normally assigned to saving people from choking and other minor calamities.
Down-on-his-luck Arj is obsessed with money, and Gabriel tries to convince him it’s not the answer to all of his problems.
To prove his point, Gabriel lets Ari “body swap” with his rich, socialite boss Jeff (Rogen). But Arj is perfectly happy with Jeff’s money and lifestyle.
That angelic slight-of-hand costs Gabriel his wings. After being busted back to human and sent to earth, Gabriel moves in with Jeff and tries to set things right.
But his previous angelic work also slides down the tubes and he faces other temptations, namely Sherry Cola, who plays a temptress out to seduce him.
The film hasn’t been reviewed yet, but you can check out the trailer below.