Director Gore Verbinski has been absent for some time. As they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder, and it made his first film in nearly a decade, Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die, that much better. It’s an ode to quirky sci-fi, and a reminder that it’s okay to go into a film simply to have fun (though the messaging behind this is just as important).

When we reviewed it, what stood out was Verbinski’s freedom to go as wild as he could with it. Opening up in a nondescript LA diner, a man in a plastic trench coat and an explosive vest (Sam Rockwell) enters and claims that he’s from the future. He is here to stop AI from taking over and destroying the world, and the people in this diner are going to be handpicked to assist him. However, it isn’t a mission that is free of danger, and each person must decide whether or not this is something that is worth it for them.

Michael Peña and Zazie Beets play Janet and Mark, a teacher and a substitute, respectively. In their story, they must grapple not just with AI in schools, but also the fraying edges of their own relationship. Their journey with the group proves to be exactly what they need.

We were able to chat with Peña and Beets at the NYC junket. We talked about anti-AI messaging, what it was like building that group rapport, and more!

‘GOOD LUCK, HAVE FUN, DON’T DIE’: MICHAEL PEÑA & ZAZIE BEETS | THS INTERVIEW

“We met up right away. We were like, ‘Who’s Mark? Who’s Janet? I had my little notebook […] we were definitely trying to fast-track our personal relationship and then finding out the details of the characters,” said Beets, of building the relationship between Mark and Janet before filming started.