Paul Walter Hauser Wins Big in ‘The Luckiest Man in America’ Trailer

by Alex Billington
March 13, 2025
Source: YouTube

“We have a problem… Somebody didn’t vet this guy.” IFC FIlms has unveiled an official trailer for an indie thriller based on a true story from the 1980s called The Luckiest Man In America, the second feature directed by filmmaker Samir Oliveros. This premiered at the 2024 Toronto Film Festival last year and will debut in US theaters this April. Go behind the scenes of the most infamous episode in game show history, as an ice cream truck driver harboring a powerful secret charms his way onto the game show Press Your Luck on CBS. The Luckiest Man In America is set in May of 1984. An unemployed ice cream truck driver steps onto the game show Press Your Luck harboring a secret: the key to endless money. But his winning streak is threatened when the bewildered executives uncover his real motivations. Starring Paul Walter Hauser as Michael Larson, with Walton Goggins, Shamier Anderson, David Strathairn, Maisie Williams, Patti Harrison, Brian Geraghty, Haley Bennett, and Johnny Knoxville. Reminds me of last year’s game show thriller Woman of the Hour, but there’s something else going on in here… There’s a whole long Wikipedia about how he pulled off his tricks if you’re curious. Or just wait to see this in theaters next month.

Here’s the official trailer for Samir Oliveros’ film The Luckiest Man In America, from IFC’s YouTube:

“What’s behind his winning streak?” Based on a true story, The Luckiest Man In America is set in May 1984, when an unemployed ice cream truck driver from Ohio (Paul Walter Hauser) steps onto the game show Press Your Luck harboring a big secret: the key to endless amounts of money. His winning streak is threatened when the bewildered executives in the control room start to uncover his real motivations. The Luckiest Man In America is directed by Colombian indie filmmaker Samir Oliveros, making his second feature film after directing Bad Lucky Goat (2017) previously, and a few other short films. The screenplay is written by Maggie Briggs and Samir Oliveros. Produced by Amanda Freedman. This initially premiered at the 2024 Toronto Film Festival last year but didn’t play anywhere else. IFC Film will release Oliveros’ The Luckiest Man In America film in select US theaters starting on April 4th, 2025 coming soon. Interested?

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