In film, the heist genre often goes hand-in-hand with the action genre, amping up the high-stakes operation with the possibility of violence should the plan go awry. This year, famed action star John Travolta will be making his way into his own heist courtesy of High Rollers.
Also starring Gina Gershon and Danny Pardo, the recently-released official trailer promises lavish settings and impossible odds, with Travolta, at some point, needing to speed down the road and shoot his way out of the venue. On 14 March 2025, we’ll see if High Rollers’ cinematic release will secure it as another fan-favorite.
High Stakes in the Classy Casino
In High Rollers, Mason, played by John Travolta, is enjoying his life having been able to get out of the game. It all goes downhill when he hesitates to take on a huge new job, so Salazar opts to kidnap his partner. His task is to get into the penthouse suite of a massive hotel casino resort, crack the safe, and make out with the goods.
On the one side of the story, Mason and his team of crack thieves try to get the mission done for Salazar. On the other side, Decker decides to stage her own breakout. High Rollers looks to be an adrenaline-pumping romp through an incredible venue and with some crafty methods used to help Mason get the job done.
Behind the camera is Randall “Ives” Emmett, who produced Gotti 2 Guns, Cash Out, The Wicker Man, and the crime epic The Irishman. He’s picked a great setting to offer a suave sophistication to High Rollers, while both Travolta and Gershon are more than equipped to handle all of the action set pieces to come.
Entering the Heist Scene
Heists have a way of consistently capturing the imagination of audiences. As explored and explained by The Swaddle, it’s the intimate look at the process of performing a heist that makes the genre so enticing. Ocean’s Eleven set the bar for this, with incredible bits of tech and novel approaches all working their way to make a gripping story.
Of course, there’s also the angle of a team of specialists working together to get the big score. It’s this that all audiences can resonate with. You can see it across entertainment, from films to games. This is why the Action Bank slot remains among the most popular online. In the game, the aim is to find five golden vaults. Once located, the player will then get 30 free spins or hit the Big Bank Bonus to go for the big score – a 500x top prize. People love the idea of playing a safe-cracker and making away with all the goodies within.
On film, there have been many different approaches to the heist formula. One of the best of all time is 1974’s The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, with Travolta’s part in the 2009 remake also being a decent outing. You could also turn to the big-team Quentin Tarantino classic Reservoir Dogs, in which, the heist itself is merely the tee up to the drama of characters working out what went wrong afterwards.
Heists never fail to draw in audiences, and with Travolta and Gershon in the lead roles, it looks like High Roller will arrive as a solid crowd-pleaser in March.