Why Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die Director Gore Verbinski Is 'Deeply Concerned' About The Future Of Hollywood [Exclusive]

"Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die" might not have the most optimistic view of our future, but can you blame it? Gore Verbinski's new sci-fi thriller feels born out of a quagmire of all our biggest anxieties and tech-related troubles these days. Sure, there's the obvious messaging about artificial intelligence and its creeping interference with our day-to-day lives ... to the point, in fact, that many more movies than you think are being subjected to AI influence. But look deeper than that and you'll find a blockbuster-sized original film exploring many different concerns at once — including its own existence amid a crowded field full of franchise IP, sequels, and other nostalgia plays.

When the film gods give you an opportunity to talk shop about the state of the industry with someone as experienced and insightful as Verbinski, you take it and run with it. That's exactly what I did during a recent Zoom interview with the director ahead of the release of "Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die." When asked for his level of concern about where things seem to be headed these days, Verbinski didn't hold back whatsoever:

"Yeah, I'm deeply concerned. I think the theatrical experience is so precious and I'm so thankful for audiences when they show up. We're in a strange time with studios just wanting sequels because they're so risk-averse. I think the streamers are enslaved to that algorithm. If you have a project that doesn't quite fit, you have to do whatever you can to scrounge up enough resources to try to get it made."

Considering that every major studio passed on acquiring "Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die" before Briarcliff Entertainment stepped up, we'd suggest Verbinski knows exactly what he's talking about here.

Still, it's one thing to merely diagnose the problem currently staring the film industry square in the face, and quite another to actually do something about it. Luckily, "Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die" director Gore Verbinski has the perfect mindset about how best to get by in an era of studio contraction and consolidation (looking at you, Netflix and Warner Bros.), over-reliance on safe bets, and a general hostility to precisely the kinds of original filmmaking that we ought to be championing and supporting.

During his interview with /Film, Verbinski went on to explain why he still has hope, despite so much adversity. Naturally, it all has to do with rats. According to the filmmaker:

"There's a friend of mine who runs [label company] Epitaph Records, Brett Gurewitz. I remember him talking to me about his success once, when all the record companies died. He was talking about the fact that, when the dinosaurs all died, there was this rat that was about this big, just the right size, and it survived and it thrived. So I'm kind of hopeful that we can be this group of rats, passing the gouda and enjoying the sweet spot. Let's make these movies. Let's make them for the people who actually show up in the movie theater. And if it means we have to get a little cozier, I think that's okay. We're in it for the long run."

While /Film's review of "Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die" by Rafael Motamayor paints an encouraging picture, moviegoers still need to turn out in numbers and prove the truth behind Verbinski's words. They'll get their chance when it hits theaters February 13, 2026.