Synopsis

Three back-to-back marathons in 24 hours, two gambling buddies and a one million dollar bet. What is left to hold on to in life when everything is on the line?

They say anything is possible in Las Vegas. Hank and Jack live this credo to the full and not just in poker. When Hank decides to run three back-to-back marathons in 24 hours, their friendship is suddenly challenged by a million dollar bet, pushing their limits both physically and emotionally. Inspired by true events, director Thomas Woschitz infuses his wonderfully bold take on the indie genre with a multi-faceted narrative that is universally relevant. When the stakes are high, you better know the odds.

Teaser

ABOUT THE FILM

A storm is brewing in the Nevada desert. The neon-lit spectacle of Las Vegas is facing an unusual challenge – a sandstorm, a first for this gambling metropolis. But where else but at the core of Sin City would it be more natural to deal with uncertainties? Here, where numbers are tossed around every day, be it at the poker table or slot machines, life has always been a game: When the stakes are high, you better know the odds. The two gambling buddies Hank and Jack - superbly portrayed by US newcomers Douglas Smith and Justin Cornwell - live this credo to the full. Anything is possible, not just within the casino.


One morning, Hank decides to attempt the incredible feat of running 70 miles in just 24 hours. This leads to a million dollar bet between friends, putting their bond and endurance to the test. Despite the odds appearing grim, Hank embarks on this feat of strength, moving like he’s in trance, circling the block repeatedly for 24 hours, step by step, metre by metre. As his untrained body is increasingly pushed to its limits, various acquaintances pass through the clearly demarcated cinematic experiment. Through their involvement, THE MILLION DOLLAR BET delves into parallel storylines, exploring different life concepts, personal pursuits of happiness, notions of family and friendship and the pursuit of thrill. These moments offer glimpses into potential Vegas stories – uniquely quirky, somewhere between youthful recklesness and the solitude of old age. Yet they also provide stark insights into American realities that exist beyond the shiny façade. A waitress asks, "Is it legal to have to pay for health insurance?" after working three consecutive shifts. While Hank ignores escalating health concerns and refuses a break, it’s only the impending sandstorm that brings relief to the diner staff. It becomes clear that the rules of the game aren’t the same for everyone.


Inspired by true events, director Thomas Woschitz (UNIVERSALOVE, Bad Luck, etc.) presents a wonderfully bold and characteristically multi-faceted take on the indie genre with an American cast. He masterfully blends universally relevant stories – positioned between the imperative “Pure reason must never win” and the question “What's worth living for?”. The answers sometimes come at a steep cost. However, betting debts are often debts of honour. (Sebastian Höglinger)

THE MILLION DOLLAR BET

Feature Film

USA / AT | 2024 | 88 Minuten

English with German Subtitles

WITH
Justin Cornwell
Douglas Smith
Kristen Gutoskie
Sean Rogers
Carrie Gibson
Jade Warner
Billie Steiner
Dee Cutrone
Olivia Rhee
Todd Carroll
Zoltán Miklós Hajdu
James Posey
Joe Lorenzo

Festivals

DIRECTOR
Thomas Woschitz
SCREENPLAY
Andrea Piva
Thomas Woschitz

BASED ON A STORY BY
Haseeb Qureshi

CAMERA
Enzo Brandner

CASTING
Jessica Sherman, CSA

EDITING
Barbara Seidler aea

MUSIC
Markus Taxacher

VISUAL EFFECTS SUPERVISOR
Lukas Schwarzkogler

SOUND DESIGN
Olivia Artner

CO-DIRECTOR & CREATIVE PRODUCER
Gabriele Kranzelbinder

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
Justin Cornwell
Douglas Smith
Sean Rogers
Gabriele Lepore

CO-PRODUCER
Kristen Gutoskie
Sabina Friedman-Seitz
Jeff Rotondi


PRODUCER/S
Gabriele Kranzelbinder
Barbara Pichler
Steven Swirko
Thomas Woschitz
Kevin Chinoy
Francesca Silvestri
Zoltán Miklós Hajdu


PRODUCTION
takethemoneyandrunproduction
KGP Filmproduktion
Freestyle Picture Company

FUNDING
Austrian Film Institute
Comeback - Zuschuss für Film- und TV- Dreharbeiten
Land Kärnten Kultur
Carinthia Film Commission

Actors

Justin Cornwell as Jack

Justin Cornwell (1988) is an American actor, writer and musician best known for playing Young Jeronicus Jangle in the Netflix original movie Jingle Jangle, Marcus Hargreeves in The Umbrella Academy and Kyle Craig in the CBS crime drama, Training Day, based on the 2001 film of the same name.
2021 Cornwell was announced as a lead in Gareth Evans Netflix action thriller Havoc starring alongside Tom Hardy and Forest Whitaker. In 2023-24 Cornwell appeared in season 2 and 3 of Bel-Air as Lamarcus Alton.

Filmography (selection)

2014        Chicago P.D.
2015        Empire
2017        Training Day
2018        We Are Boats
2019        I Am the Night
                The InBetween
2020        Jingle Jangle
2022        The Umbrella Academy
2023        Bel-Air
2024        Million Dollar Bet
                Havoc

Kristen Gutoskie as Janet

Kristen Gutoskie is a Canadian SAG nominated actor, a musician, and producer. She is known for her roles in the Emmy winning show The Handmaid’s Tale, Narco’s Mexico, Chicago Fire, Containment and The Vampire Diaries.
She wrote and performed songs in both Containment and indie film The Dust Storm by Ryan Lacen.
Kristen can also be seen in FX’s Y: The Last Man, and Fox’s Lethal Weapon. A short she starred in alongside Olivia Stambouliah recently screened at Outfest in Los Angeles, where she is currently based.
When she is not on set she is recording her debut album under the artist name "Lee Gutoskie”, with her first single release coming soon. She is also developing a musical feature film and a television series.
She spends her free time mentoring youth for Good City Mentors and playing music for kids with Art of Elysium.

Filmography (selection)

1999        Restless Spirits
2000-01   System Crash
2011-12   Beaver Falls
2013        Republic of Doyle
2016        The Dust Storm
2016-17   Relationship Status
2016        Containment
2016-17  The Vampire Diaries
2017-21  The Handmaid's Tale
2017-18  Lethal Weapon
2021       Narcos: Mexico
               All the World Is Sleeping
2021       Y: The Last Man
2023       Brush
2018-24 Chicago Fire

Douglas Smith as Hank

Douglas Smith (1985) is a Canadian actor known for his work on the HBO series Big Love as Ben Henrickson. His other work includes Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (2013), Terminator Genisys (2015), Miss Sloane (2016), When We Rise (2017), The Alienist (2018–2020) and the second season of HBO's Big Little Lies (2019).
In 2022, he played the supporting role of Bill Johnson in Olivia Wilde's film Don't Worry Darling. He also starred in the musical drama The Swearing Jar, which premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival.
Smith appeared in Atom Egoyan's film Seven Veils, which made its premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.
He plays a supporting role in Kevin Costner's Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 & 2 which premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.

Filmography (selection)

1999         Blast from the Past
2003         Hangman's Curse
2004         Sleepover
                 State's Evidence
2005         Rock the Paint
                 Santa's Slay
2006–11   Big Love
2013         Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters
2015         Terminator Genisys
2016         Miss Sloane
2017         When We Rise
2018-20    The Alienist
2019 Big   Little Lies
2022         Don't Worry Darling
                 The Swearing Jar
2023         Seven Veils
2024         Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1
                 Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2
                 Die Alone

Sean Rogers as Tony

Sean Rogers (1989) is an American actor known for The Flash (2023) Dinner in America (2020) Asking For it (2021) and Milkwater (2020).
Sean studied physical therapy at Oakland University and competed for USAW (United States Olympic Weightlifting). While in school he was cast by Ellen Barkin in Another Happy Day (2011). He graduated the William Esper Studio in 2015.

2011        Another Happy Day
2019        Angelfish
2020        Dinner in America
                Milkwater
2021        Asking For it
2023        The Flash
                Bad Hombres
2024        Gunner

Production companies

TAKETHEMONEYANDRUNPRODUCTION 

TAKETHEMONEYANDRUNPRODUCTION is a production company based in Austria and Italy for the development and creation of high-quality feature films for the international market  that encompass innovative forms of visual storytelling. The company is run by filmmaker Thomas Woschitz in collaboration with senior producer Gabriele Kranzelbinder and a small international team.

THE MILLION DOLLAR BET is the first production.

www.takethemoneyandrunproduction.com

Freestyle Picture Company (USA)

For more than twenty-five years, Freestyle Picture Company partners Kevin Chinoy and Francesca Silvestri have developed and produced award-winning film, TV, theater, and branded content with many of the industry’s most talented individuals and entertainment companies.

Their films have played at major festivals around the world including Cannes, Sundance, Toronto, Berlin, NYFF, Locarno, SXSW, and Tribeca, and have been represented at award ceremonies including the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, Gothams, WGA, DGA, SAG, Critics Choice, and Independent Spirit Awards. 

Their long list of collaborators includes Sean Baker, with whom they have partnered on his films Starlet, Tangerine, and The Florida Project and the various versions of the TV show The Greg The Bunny Show. They have also produced the directorial debuts of Jennifer Aniston, Jamie Foxx, Gwyneth Paltrow, Alicia Keys, Demi Moore, Olivia Wilde, Eva Longoria, Zoe Saldana, Bryce Dallas Howard, Laura Dern, Kirsten Dunst, Rachel Weisz, Kate Hudson, Courtney Cox, Ashley Judd, Eva Mendes, Jessica Biel, Rita Wilson, and Trudie Styler.

Filmography (selection)

2012             Starlet
2015             Tangerine
2017             The Florida Project
2020             Lorelei

www.freestyle-la.com

KGP Filmproduktion (Austria)

KGP produce films for the international festival and arthouse market and develop formats for TV or platforms. Founded in 2001 (as Amour Fou) and active as KGP since 2007, the company is now run by its founder Gabriele Kranzelbinder and Barbara Pichler as producers. The name stands for artistic ventures as well as cinematic storytelling and craftsmanship.

Films include the Academy’s shortlisted WE COME AS FRIENDS by Hubert Sauper, which won the Special Jury Award at Sundance 2014, MUSEUM HOURS by Jem Cohen, for which Gabriele Kranzelbinder was nominated for the Independent Spirit Awards 2014, and Saupers EPICENTRO, which won the World Cinema Documentary -Grand Jury Prize in Sundance 2020. Other titles include TENDER SON by Kornél Mundruczó (in competition at the Int. Film Festival Cannes), MONEYBOYS by C.B. Yi (Cannes 2021) and UNIVERSALOVE by Thomas Woschitz, which won the Max Ophüls Award 2009.

Filmography (selection)

2003         Struggle
2006         Taxidermia
2009         Universalove
2010         Tender Son
2012         Museum Hours
2014         We come as Friends
2020         Epicentro
2021         Moneyboys

www.kgp.co.at