Paul Walter Hauser IsThe Luckiest Man in Americain a Real-Life Game Show Scandal: See the Trailer (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Meet the luckiest man in America.

Thefirst trailerfor IFC Films' drama, shared exclusively with PEOPLE, depicts the 1984Press Your Luckgame show scandal.

Based on a true story,The Luckiest Man in Americafollows unemployed ice cream truck driver Michael Larson (Paul Walter Hauser) as he becomes a contestant onPress Your Luck, all while “harboring a big secret: the key to endless amounts of money,” a synopsis teases.

In the trailer, Larson begins to raise suspicion on the game show as he quickly racks up thousands of dollars. Host Peter Tomarken (The White LotusstarWalton Goggins) watches in amazement.

However, executives behind the scenes aren’t as thrilled, withPress Your Luckco-creator Bill Carruthers (David Strathairn) saying, “We have a problem. Somebody didn’t vet this guy.”

Brian Geraghty and Paul Walter Hauser in “The Luckiest Man in America.".Courtesy of IFC Films

Courtesy of IFC Films

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Strathairn also shared positive memories of working on the movie, saying the experience “could not have been more fun.”

Walton Goggins in “The Luckiest Man Alive”.Courtesy of IFC Films

“Ever since I saw the clip of his performance on a VHS tape I found at a thrift shop, I became obsessed with Michael Larson,” Oliveros says of inspiration for the movie. “What drew me to him was what I perceived to be a kind of childish curiosity, a desire to put the rules into question.”

“Michael was a man who took risks and made bold and questionable decisions, a man who was constantly dipping his toe in danger, hell-bent on defeating the system, always out to prove that he was smarter than everyone else. That’s the stuff of a great movie character,” Oliveros says.

The writer-director also shares admiration for Larson’s “unorthodox” methods to winning.

“I recognize the struggle of a man who has big dreams and is willing to find unorthodox ways to accomplish them. Because just like him, I believe that luck favors the brave,” Oliveros says.

The Luckiest Man in Americais in theaters April 4.

source: people.com