{
  "id": 4666614,
  "title": "EXCLUSIVE: Just Play Dead director Martin Campbell and writer Dan Gordon on Samuel L. Jackson and Eva Green’s twisted thriller",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/exclusive-just-play-dead-director-martin-campbell-and-writer-dan",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-31T16:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Digital Trends",
    "slug": "digital-trends",
    "url": "https://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/just-play-dead-exclusive-interview-martin-campbell-dan-gordon/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Just Play Dead, a new action-thriller directed by Martin Campbell, stars Samuel L. Jackson and Eva Green as wealthy criminals Jack Wolfe and Nora, respectively. The film follows their twisted plan to fake Jack's death and outwit the authorities while Nora plots to kill him and claim the life insurance money. In an interview with Digital Trends, Campbell and screenwriter Dan Gordon discussed the inspiration behind the story, their film influences, and their experiences working with the two larger-than-life actors.\n\nDan Gordon revealed that the story for Just Play Dead came to him during a vacation in Hawaii, when he saw a mansion on a cliff owned by a wealthy man. He imagined the owner as a wicked individual and began to develop the idea of a film noir-style story about a man trying to fake his death to elude the law, only to be pursued by his wife with murderous intentions. Gordon noted that he wanted to blend elements of classic film noir with dark comedy, similar to the works of the Coen Brothers.\n\nCampbell mentioned that he drew inspiration from classic film noir films of the 1930s and 1940s such as Postman Always Rings Twice and Double Indemnity. He also cited Ocean's Eleven and The Sting as influencing the film's tone, emphasizing the importance of balancing humor and action throughout the movie.\n\nBoth Campbell and Gordon praised Jackson and Green's casting in the film, noting their acting abilities and ability to embody the characters' noir-like qualities. Campbell highlighted Green's striking resemblance to iconic actresses like Lauren Bacall and Veronica Lake in her role as Nora. The director also mentioned that the film's action sequences were not as prominent as in his other works, focusing instead on character development, relationships, and plot progression.\n\nThe production team faced challenges such as working with a tight budget and schedule, as well as ensuring the film's action sequences flowed smoothly despite its smaller scale. However, Campbell expressed his enjoyment of the experience, praising the Canary Islands as a beautiful location to shoot and the collaborative nature of Gordon and producer Moshe Diamant.",
  "summary": "Just Play Dead director Martin Campbell and writer Dan Gordon discuss the darkly comedic thriller, its film noir influences, and working with Samuel L. Jackson and Eva Green.",
  "key_points": [
    "Just Play Dead directed by Martin Campbell stars Samuel L. Jackson and Eva Green.",
    "Story inspired by Hawaii mansion and film noir elements, dark comedy.",
    "Jackson and Green praised for embodying noir-like characters."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}