"Aziz Ansari's feature directing debut, " Good Fortune," wasn't meant to be his first effort as a filmmaker: That would've been "Being Mortal," called off mid-shoot in 2022 amid accusations of misconduct against Bill Murray. So it was inevitable that alongside the TIFF premiere of " Good Fortune," a comedy starring Keanu Reeves and "Being Mortal" star Seth Rogen, he'd have to address the canceled film. And it turns out, they share thematic DNA."
"When the news of "Being Mortal's" cancellation broke in April 2022, Ansari said he got a deluge of "I'm sooo sorry" texts. He recalled thinking, "I can't deal with this. I don't wanna be in this woe-is-me moment." Ansari said he then called Seth Rogen, also a star of "Being Mortal." He told Rogen, "Hey, I know you're free and were supposed to work today. If you wanna make this day less shitty for me, can you read this script [for 'Good Fortune']? He said, yeah, and he called me in two hours and said, 'I'm in, let's do it.'"
"Could "Good Fortune" and his should-have-been debut "Being Mortal" have swapped titles? After all, in the TIFF premiere, Keanu Reeves plays Gabriel, the Angel of Texting and Driving - in L.A., yes, the City of Angels, where in this comedy, angels exist - and finds himself demoted to human by his angel boss (Sandra Oh). Thus, he becomes mortal. "Whoa!" Ansari told IndieWire in Toronto. "I gotta process that," when asked."
Good Fortune emerged as Aziz Ansari's feature directing debut after the cancellation of Being Mortal during a mid-shoot halt in 2022 amid accusations involving Bill Murray. Good Fortune premiered at TIFF and stars Keanu Reeves as Gabriel, the Angel of Texting and Driving, who is demoted to human by his angel boss Sandra Oh, becoming mortal. Seth Rogen, originally attached to Being Mortal, joined Good Fortune after a direct outreach and quick decision to help. Ansari is recognized for roles as Tom Haverford on Parks and Recreation and Dev Shah on Master of None.
Read at IndieWire
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]