Aziz Ansari’s directorial debut “Good Fortune” stars Keanu Reeves as a guardian angel named Gabriel. Gabriel attempts to show a struggling gig worker, played by Ansari, that money can’t buy happiness by swapping bodies with his wealthy employer, portrayed by Seth Rogen. When Ansari’s character enjoys the luxurious lifestyle, Gabriel is punished for his failure and loses his wings.
Ansari, who had never met Reeves before casting him, was initially uncertain about working with the Hollywood star. “Keanu’s one of these guys who’s in pretty rarefied air. You don’t see him around.
He’s still pretty mysterious,” Ansari said. However, a meeting in London changed his mind, and Reeves eventually agreed to the role. To ease his awe of the legendary actor, Ansari reminisced about two formative theatrical experiences involving Reeves: seeing “Speed” at a drive-in theater with his family and watching “The Matrix” in high school.
“There are very few experiences at the movies that compare to the first time you see ‘The Matrix,'” he noted. Ansari went to great lengths to become comfortable around Reeves, even cooking Indian food for him. “We hung out, and he came over to my house.
Ansari’s journey with Reeves
I made him Indian food, and we hung out for a while, and he told me all these stories. And then we went to dinner a couple of times,” Ansari said.
Despite an on-set injury where Reeves broke his kneecap during a cold plunge scene, the actor remained dedicated to the project. “He could have said, ‘Hey, I’m out,’ but he never complained. He just did the whole movie,” Ansari said, expressing his gratitude.
Reeves had kind words for Ansari as well, saying, “Aziz is great. A great writer, director, actor. I had such a fantastic experience working with him.”
The film also stars Rogen, another longtime friend of Ansari, and Keke Palmer.
Sandra Oh is also part of the cast. “Good Fortune” aims to revive R-rated comedies, with Ansari emphasizing the importance of watching comedies in theaters. “Good Fortune” is set for a theatrical release on Oct.
17 and is a collaboration among Garam Films, Oh Brudder, Keep Your Head, and Yang Pictures, presented by Lionsgate in association with Media Capital Technologies.
