Summary

• Gore Verbinski returns to directing with sci-fi film starring Sam Rockwell, Haley Lu Richardson, and more.
• The movie "Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die" follows a quest to stop rogue AI, led by Rockwell's character.
• Verbinski's career took a hit after "The Lone Ranger" and "A Cure for Wellness," but is now poised for a comeback.

Gore Verbinski is returning to the director's chair after an 8-year hiatus with his new film, Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die. The new movie is currently in production in South Africa, which was recently confirmed by Deadline. Verbinski is best known for directing the first three entries in the Pirates of the Carribean franchise, as well as The Ring, and the animated western, Rango.

Written by Matthew Robinson (Love & Monsters), the official description for Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die reads:

"A 'Man From the Future' arrives at a diner in Los Angeles where he must recruit the precise combination of disgruntled patrons to join him on a one-night quest to save the world from the terminal threat of a rogue artificial intelligence"

The sci-fi, action-adventure film already has a notable cast attached, led by Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) as the mysterious 'Man From the Future.' Alongside Rockwell, Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die also stars Haley Lu Richardson (The White Lotus), Zazie Beetz (Deadpool 2), Michael Peña (Ant-Man), and Juno Temple (Ted Lasso).

Gore Verbinski made his directorial debut in 1997 with Mousehunt, an absurd comedy starring Nathan Lane and Lee Evnas. Verbinski then went on to direct The Ring in 2002, before introducing the world to Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) in 2003's Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, and returned to direct the film's next two sequels. Verbinski's last major success was in 2011, with the Oscar winning Rango, which reunited Verbinski with Johnny Depp. But, Verbinski's directorial career then took a downturn.

What Happened to Gore Verbinski?

After turning a Disney World theme park into one of the most popular franchises of all-time, and winning an Oscar, how did Gore Verbinski disappear into obscurity for 8 years? The answer likely lies in Verbinski's two films following Rango.

Coming off the back of Rango, Verbinski returned to the Western genre, with Johnny Depp in tow for The Lone Ranger, adapting the cult-classic comic book series for the big screen. However, The Lone Ranger was a major flop for Disney, with the studio reportedly writing of a $190 million loss only a few weeks into its theatrical run. As well as poor reviews, Johnny Depp's star power was fading in 2013. Pair that with the fact that Westerns tend to under-perform in the international market, and The Lone Ranger drastically halted Verbinski's meteoric rise.

Verbinski tried to bounce back from The Lone Ranger with A Cure for Wellness, an R-Rated horror film starring Dane DeHaan, Jason Isaacs, and (future horror icon) Mia Goth. Like The Lone Ranger, a cure for wellness received similarly poor reviews, and grossed just $26 million, against a $40 million budget.

The true reason for Verbinski's departure from film making will likely remain unknown, considering the director is a famously private person. While he hasn't directly worked on a movie in years, Verbinski has still been involved in film making circles, appearing on various podcasts and documentaries, including The Big Picture Podcast and Kino+.

A release window is currently unconfirmed for Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die.