To all Gore Verbinski fans, if you missed him in the last nine years, he’s finally back with Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die. A sci-fi action-adventure comedy, and judging by the official trailer, he hasn’t lost a touch of his madness! 

Here’s an overview of the film:

TitleGood Luck, Have Fun, Don’t DieCastSam Rockwell, Haley Lu Richardson, Michael Peña, Zazie Beetz, Asim Chaudhry, Tom Taylor, Juno TempleRelease DateFebruary 13, 2026Runtime134 MinutesDirectorGore VerbinskiProduction Company3 Arts Entertainment

It’s unhinged, sharply tuned, and perfectly taps into our modern anxieties. The script is penned by Matthew Robinson, who seems to have neatly tied together time travel, AI, and an apocalypse-like scenario, and some great humor! So, let’s see what this genre-blurring experience is all about!

Breaking Down the Trailer of Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die 

Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die centers on a scruffy man from the future, played by Sam Rockwell, who travels back in time to warn us about a rogue AI that will eventually hollow out our society. How does he plan to stop it? By taking hostages at a diner and recruiting them for his plan to save the world! 

That’s where the trailer begins, where ordinary people are going about their business in a diner, and Rockwell’s character shows up. At first, we think his warnings are just odd ramblings, but then the tone begins to shift.

We see glimpses of the nightmarish future in other teaser trailers, and then it all escalates into full-blown chaos with robots and whatnot. So far, Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die has established itself as a sci-fi satire and thriller with absurdist humor. 

The Inspiration Behind Gore Verbinski’s Time Travel and AI Film

A still from Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die | Credits: 3 Arts Entertainment

Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die feels like a weird and chaotic melting pot. But Gore Verbinski has opened up about the influences that shaped the film. For the opening act, he looked at Dog Day Afternoon, and its impact is evident in the diner scene (via Collider). 

He also cited Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira as a major influence, and tying everything together is Repo Man, which he described as his “guiding light.”  Rather than showing us a polished and clinical vision of the AI apocalypse, Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die, relies on a messy and anarchic form of storytelling. 

And though he doesn’t say it, one of Verbinski’s biggest inspirations could be the time that we’re living in today, where AI is rapidly taking over, almost at a worrisome pace. Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die is like a Black Mirror episode, only more vibrant, full of action, and explosions. 

So, what are your thoughts about its trailer? 

Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die is set to release in theaters on February 13, 2026 (USA). 
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire