Adam Blevins

Published Aug 27, 2026, 12:00 PM EDT

Adam Blevins began working in the entertainment industry in 2022 as a Staff Writer for Agents of Fandom, where he progressed to Senior Editor and interviewed talent from Marvel Studios, House of the Dragon, and Planet of the Apes. He joined Collider as a News Author in April 2024, was promoted to a Senior position in December 2024, and has written over 3,000 articles for the site, including exclusives relating to Avengers: Doomsday, The Penguin, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, and more. He primarily writes about the latest box office numbers and the hottest movies and TV shows on streaming, while also covering superhero and sci-fi news. He has completed a set visit for The Chosen and even has several months of experience writing Gaming Features at ScreenRant. You can find him on X, LinkedIn, and Muckrack.

Sign in to your Collider account

When it comes to big movie stars, few names carry as much weight as Samuel L. Jackson. Not only has Jackson featured in critically acclaimed Quentin Tarantino crime thrillers like Pulp Fiction, but he’s also a franchise veteran with roles like Mace Windu in Star Wars and Nick Fury in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Jackson has also found himself at the center of the Taylor Sheridan universe on Paramount Plus, where he recently made his debut in Tulsa King, the crime thriller show starring Sylvester Stallone. Jackson has even been enlisted to lead the first* Tulsa King* spin-off, Frisco King, which is expected to begin streaming sometime next year. Jackson also recently teamed up with James Bond icon Pierce Brosnan for The Unholy Trinity, the 95-minute Western streaming exclusively on Hulu.

Just because Samuel L. Jackson is approaching 80 years old doesn’t mean he’s eager to stop starring in movies, though. Jackson has been enlisted to star opposite another James Bond veteran, Eva Green, in Just Play Dead, the new crime thriller launching in theaters tomorrow, on August 28 — Green is best known for playing Vesper opposite Daniel Craig in Casino Royale. Before Just Play Dead begins playing in select theaters tomorrow, Collider is thrilled to partner with Vertical to release a new sneak peek at the film, showing Samuel L. Jackson putting all of his charm and charisma on full display as he looks to move one of his most popular products. As if Just Play Dead needed another *James Bond *connection, the film was directed by Martin Campbell, who is best known for his work helming Daniel Craig’s debut Bond film, the aforementioned Casino Royale.

Six actors. One role. Your answers point to the Bond who shares your presence, your method, and your particular way of carrying the weight of being the most dangerous person in the room.

You are the original — and you carry that fact without needing to announce it. There is an authority in the way you occupy a room that others spend careers trying to replicate.

You understand something that more serious people miss: that wit is its own form of intelligence, and that making people laugh is not a retreat from danger but a way of mastering it.

You took the role seriously when everyone wanted you to coast — and that refusal to take the easy version of anything is the most defining thing about you.

You are the complete package — and you know it, which is part of what makes you so effective and occasionally so infuriating to the people around you.

You stepped into something enormous with less preparation than anyone around you thought was sufficient — and you delivered something genuine anyway, which is the more impressive achievement.

You stripped everything back and found what was underneath — and what was underneath was harder, more honest, and more human than anyone expected.

The official synopsis for Just Play Dead reads as follows: “Wealthy criminal mastermind Jack Wolfe (Samuel L. Jackson) is cornered by the Feds, but you can’t arrest a dead man. His plan? Fake his death, claim a $30 million insurance payout with his grieving wife Nora (Eva Green), and frame her surfer lover Chad. But Nora, suffocated by Jack’s ruthless control, has her own scheme: kill Jack for real, frame Chad, and keep the fortune for herself. Jack, always a step ahead, sets a deadly trap, turning the unsuspecting lovers against each other.” The film is perfect for fans of The Wolf of Wall Street and Gone Girl, and it also features other stars like Eoin Macken, María Pedraza, and even Jason Fernández.

Check out the new sneak peek from Just Play Dead above and stay tuned to Collider for more updates and coverage of the film.

](/tag/thriller/)

Martin Campbell

Samuel L. Jackson

Eva Green

Eoin Macken