Lionsgate has released the first teaser trailer for Aziz Ansari’s directorial debut film, Good Fortune. The comedy stars Keanu Reeves, Seth Rogen, Keke Palmer, and Sandra Oh. It is set to premiere in October 2025.
Reeves plays Gabriel, a well-meaning but somewhat inept angel. He tries to intervene in the lives of Arj, a struggling gig worker played by Ansari, and Jeff, a wealthy venture capitalist played by Rogen. Gabriel’s plan to show that money doesn’t solve problems goes wrong in a funny way.
He swaps their lives, leading to unexpected results and Gabriel losing his wings. The teaser gives a look at the comedic chaos. Reeves’s usually serious manner provides a humorous contrast to his role as a bumbling angel.
Palmer and Oh play another angel, completing a strong cast. Good Fortune is scheduled for a U.S. release on October 17 through Lionsgate. Ansari, who directs and stars in the R-rated comedy, said he spent a lot of time with Reeves to build a connection before filming.
“I tried to really spend time…so I could become comfortable around him,” says Ansari. Ansari recalls being in awe when first meeting Reeves in London. “Keanu’s one of these guys who’s in pretty rarefied air,” he says.
“He’s still pretty mysterious. He’s one of the few guys who still has this real movie star aura.”
To break the ice, Ansari invited Reeves over and cooked him Indian food.
Ansari and Reeves bond on set
“We hung out for a while, and he told me all these stories. And then we went to dinner a couple of times,” Ansari recalls. Despite these efforts, Reeves tripped on a piece of carpet on set and broke his kneecap.
“He tripped over a rug or something, and it’s the last thing he expected,” says Ansari. Reeves kept shooting the film despite the injury. “But he never complained,” Ansari reflects.
Reeves had high praise for Ansari, calling him a “great writer, director, actor” and mentioning the fantastic experience he had working with him. Ansari also leaned on longtime friend and co-star Rogen to bring the story to life. The two had previously been working on another film, Being Mortal, which was shut down.
Ansari sent Rogen the script for Good Fortune and asked if he wanted to be involved. Rogen quickly agreed. Ansari hopes the film will help revive the kind of R-rated comedies that were popular in the late 2000s and early 2010s.
He emphasized his desire for a theatrical release to capture the shared experience of movie-watching. Good Fortune is a collaboration between Garam Films, Oh Brudder, Keep Your Head, and Yang Pictures. It is presented by Lionsgate in association with Media Capital Technologies.
The film is produced by Ansari, Anthony Katagas, and Alan Yang. The executive producers include Christopher Woodrow, Connor DiGregorio, and Jonathan McCoy.
