Even Eva Green couldnt resist the opportunity to work with Samuel L. Jackson again.

The French actress had a brief run-in with the Oscar nominee while filming Tim Burtons 2016 dark fantasy Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children, in which Jackson of Pulp Fiction, Star Wars and MCU fame starred opposite Greens titular character as the villainous shapeshifter Mr. Barron.

But Green, best known for her role in Ridley Scotts Kingdom of Heaven (2005), an iconic Bond girl stint in Casino Royale (2006) and as Vanessa Ives in Showtime series Penny Dreadful (2014-2016), wanted more. Almost a decade letter, its finally happened: her Jackson itch has been thoroughly scratched with Martin Campbells sun-drenched thriller Just Play Dead. Ive been wanting to do another comedy for a long time and fell in love with the script and the idea of working with Sam, Green tells The Hollywood Reporter about the project, repped at AFM by the Highland Film Group. His energy and generosity were unforgettable [on Miss Peregrine]. Sam brings humor, focus, and total confidence. Hes generous and fun: the best kind of partner on set.

Highland Film Group are handling international rights at the market for Just Play Dead. The film follows wealthy criminal mastermind Jack Wolfe (Jackson) who, when cornered by federal police, plans to fake his own death and claim a $30 million life insurance payout with his grieving wife, Nora (Green).

Jack and Nora plot to frame her surfer lover Chad for his murder. But Nora is cooking up a scheme of her own: kill Jack for real, pin it on Chad and keep the fortune for herself. As their twisted lies unravel, Nora and Jack scramble to outsmart one another with only one of them set to come out on top.

Nora started off as a high-class escort, then married Jack Wolfe, a very powerful gangster, teases Green about her character. She is definitely Jacks equal, just as smart and just as ruthless. Shes a great manipulator and loves playing games with peoples minds.

The project also sees the star re-team with frequent collaborator and Casino Royale director Campbell, another considerable incentive for boarding the movie. Its such an excellent film, Green reflects on the Daniel Craig-starring instalment in which she portrayed elegant double agent Vesper Lynd. Martin has a rare ability to make big stories feel intimate. He can balance great dramatic momentum with real character. He can give the audience great entertainment, but with depth and meaning. Thats exactly what he did with James Bond, she adds. And as they like to say nobody does it better. When someone like that invites you back into the creative arena, you say yes with gratitude.

Has Campbells directorial approach evolved since the two first shot together 20 years ago? Hes the same in all the best ways, responds Green. [Hes] precise, curious, demanding and has more energy today than when we made Casino Royale. I would love his secret recipe because he has even more energy than me.

Youd be forgiven for thinking Green has shedloads of energy; filmed in the Canary Islands, Just Play Dead isnt too much of an abrupt change of pace for the actress, whose last appearance on the big screen came with another Campbell nail-biter: the 2024 military thriller Dirty Angels. Perhaps the more recent projects on Greens portfolio are indicative of the kinds of roles appealing to the star at this stage in her vibrant and impressive career.

Im always up to play characters that Ive never played before and especially [with] a well-written script that has great banter, says Green. The characters in Just Play Dead are very colorful, bigger than life We dont do dialogue like this anymore and its very jubilating. Still, the films playful tone and pulpy plot makes for lighter material than audiences might be used to with Green, an actress so well-suited to the more dark and eccentric roles shes often gravitated toward.

A glimpse of that Green resurfaces while discussing her dream director list. I would love to work with Magnus von Horn, she says. The Girl with the Needle is an absolute masterpiece. Its horribly compelling and took great courage to tackle such an impossibly dark, gothic tale.

For now, its murder and mayhem with Samuel L. Jackson on the beach for Eva Green. What comes next is anyones guess.