Gran Canaria has its Hollywood moment as the trailer for Samuel L. Jackson's new thriller drops

Just Play Dead, a murder mystery filmed across the island in 2025, is heading to US cinemas at the end of August

Samuel L. Jackson has filmed not one but two movies in Gran Canaria, and now the first of them is nearly ready to watch. The trailer for Just Play Dead has just landed, and for anyone who knows the island, it is a genuinely fun few minutes of spotting familiar locations on a big-screen thriller.

Directed by Martin Campbell, the film was shot across Gran Canaria in 2025, with locations including the pretty harbour at Puerto de Mogán, the coastal stretch of Sardina del Norte and several streets in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The island looks spectacular throughout, and local landmarks are clearly recognisable for anyone who has spent time there.

The plot is satisfyingly twisty. Jackson plays a wealthy criminal who fakes his own death to escape FBI pursuit and sets up his wife's lover to take the blame. His wife, played by Eva Green, has a rather more dramatic plan of her own: she intends to actually kill him, and frame the lover for real. The lover is played by Spanish actor Jason Fernández, adding a neat local connection to what is already a very watchable cast.

Just Play Dead is due to open in the United States at the end of August, though no Spanish release date has been announced yet. Worth keeping an eye on.

This is actually Jackson's second production on the island. Back in November 2024, he was in Gran Canaria filming the action movie The Beast, and was reportedly spotted enjoying the local restaurants and streets during the shoot. He clearly likes the place, and frankly, who could blame him.

For Gran Canaria, it is another moment of genuine international exposure, with its coastline and city streets about to appear on screens across the world.