Aziz Ansari makes his feature directorial debut with Good Fortune, an upcoming American comedy film written by him that's set to hit theatres on October 17, 2025. The film stars Keanu Reeves (The Matrix), Aziz Ansari (Parks and Recreation), Seth Rogen (The Studio), Keke Palmer (One of Them Days), and Sandra Oh (Grey’s Anatomy).
The story follows Gabriel (Reeves), a “budget guardian angel”, who tries to teach Arj (Ansari), a struggling worker, that money can’t buy happiness. Gabriel swaps Arj’s life with that of his wealthy employer Jeff (Rogen), hoping to prove his point. But when Arj’s life actually improves with Jeff’s riches, Gabriel loses his wings and is sent down to earth, forcing him to live among humans. Gabriel eventually ends up becoming roommates with the displaced Jeff, and the story continues with Gabriel navigating the consequences of his intervention.
Ansari spoke at Lionsgate CinemaCon on Reeves joining the team, playing an angel, “was truly magical”. Even though Keke Palmer’s role remains under wraps, Ansari praised her as “a delight to work with,” humorously adding that he was “even more excited to provide a quote for this press release announcing her casting”.
Garam Films, Oh Brudder, Keep Your Head, and Yang Pictures are producers of the film, with Lionsgate presenting him. Lionsgate released the teaser on YouTube, crossing 1.4 million views under 24 hours.
Ansari started working on Good Fortune following the suspension of his earlier directorial debut, Being Mortal (2022). Inspired by the theatrical success of Barbie (2023), Ansari decided to direct an original comedy and bring it to the big screen.
Filming started in May 2023 but shut down due to the Writers Guild of America strike. Production resumed in January 2024, when Keke Palmer joined the cast. Despite a brief pause after Reeves’s injury on set, filming wrapped up by April 2024.
With a quirky body-swap plot, wholehearted comedy, and a star-studded cast, Good Fortunepromises to be a witty, modern take on struggling self-worth and second chances.