Paramount+ has unveiled the first look at their upcoming exclusive Jerry and Marge Go Large ahead of its release later this year. The lifestyle comedy is expected to make a splash for the streaming network thanks in part to the considerable talent they have on board.
Tony Award winner and Academy Award nominee Bryan Cranston stars alongside fellow Academy and Tony Award nominee Annette Bening as the titular couple Jerry and Marge. The film also boasts a strong supporting cast including the likes of Anna Camp (True Blood, Pitch Perfect) and Rainn Wilson (The Office).
Jerry and Marge Go Large is an adaptation of Jason Fagone’s famous Huffington Post article of the same name, telling the incredible story of Jerry and Marge Selbee. Written for the screen by Emmy nominee Brad Copeland and directed by Academy Award Winner David Frankel (The Devil Wears Prada).
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Take a look at the first set of images below:
The Incredibly True Story of the Selbees
Fagone’s article detailed the unbelievably true story of the retired couple Jerry and Marge who discovered a mathematical loophole in their local lottery. Gerald Selbee was dyslexic which made his school life difficult until he discovered a unique mathematical gift that developed in a similar way.
Jerry’s mind was adept at recognizing mathematical patterns in a way that normal people couldn’t observe. Honing in on his newfound talent made Jerry an avid puzzle enthusiast, something he carried into his professional life when he cracked the secret production code of General Mills whilst working for competitors Kellogg’s.
It was a different mathematical pattern that would have a much greater impact far later in Jerry’s life though, the Massachusetts state lottery. The journey began when Jerry and Marge took over a corner store in their hometown of Evart, Michigan and installed a lottery machine.
The machine returned a nice profit for the couple’s business and after years of watching people play various games, Jerry established a pretty good understanding of how they worked. So when a new game, the Massachusetts lottery, was introduced he quickly spotted an oversight.
Every six weeks someone didn’t win the jackpot there was a roll down that increased the prize money at all levels significantly as a recurring event. Jerry realized that if he only played in the roll down weeks, purchasing thousands of tickets each time, he could generate a positive return where he was guaranteed to receive more money than he paid out.
Jerry and Marge put together a very successful racket, bringing their children in on the arrangement amongst others. At their peak, they were buying and sorting through tens of thousands of lottery tickets a week. In total Jerry and Marge netted over $7.75 million in profit over an eight-year span.
The humble couple didn’t wish to establish a lavish lifestyle though and instead opted to stay in their modest home, living comfortably. The remainder of the wealth they put back out into their hometown of Evart, happy to spread the winnings amongst the local community.
Jerry and Marge Go Large is set to premiere at Tribeca Film Festival on June 15th this year, arriving exclusively on Paramount+ just 2 days later, in all markets where the service is available simultaneously.
