Here’s the only Coast theater showing John Travolta’s new movie filmed in South MS
Sixteen movies are coming out this weekend, but only John Travolta’s new film “High Rollers” was filmed at Scarlet Pearl Casino in D’Iberville and other sites along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
“High Rollers” will have a limited release in theaters and online starting Friday, March 14. The only place to see it on the big screen in South Mississippi is at The Grand D’Iberville.
Showings are at 2 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. starting Friday and at the same times on Saturday and Sunday.
The movie also can be streamed online starting at 7 p.m. Friday on Amazon Prime Video and on Apple TV.
“High Rollers” is the sequel to the first “Cash Out” movie starring Travolta. It also stars Gina Gershon, Quavo and Lukas Haas. Randall Emmett is the director and producer, along with producers Cecil Chambers and Joel Cohen.
It’s been two years since Travolta and the other cast members and crew filmed scenes at Scarlet Pearl Casino and location shots on the Coast. They were at the casino April 10-30, said Vicki Haskins, director of casino marketing at Scarlet Pearl, and shot several scenes on various roads and on the beach with helicopters and exotic cars.
Good for casino and business
“They were just a pleasure,” Haskins said of the stars and crew, and the film brought attention to Scarlet Pearl from across the United States. She expects more attention for the casino and South Mississippi as it’s released. People will see the dramatic swirling ceilings at Scarlet Pearl and the sites on the Coast and she said they’ll want to visit.
The movie already was a big boost for the local economy, she said. “They did stay here,” she said, and they ate at the casino’s steakhouse a couple of times. They purchased catering services and supplies from local businesses, she said, and the cast and crew were seen enjoying local restaurants and night spots.
Filming while playing
Scarlet Pearl Casino didn’t shut down while the stars were on the floor filming.
“We were open the entire time,” Haskins said, which she said required lots of coordination with the gaming commission and regulatory organizations.
“We wanted to be very respectful of all of our high profile guests,” she said, and they made everyone aware filming was occurring and John Travolta was in the house.
The star of “Grease,” “Pulp Fiction,” “Saturday Night Fever” and many other blockbusters, Travolta is a very recognizable actor and having him at Scarlet Pearl was very exciting, Haskins said.
The few times he did walk through the casino, she said, Travolta would stop to say hello to the customers, shake their hands and sign autographs.
Plot is a casino heist
The trailers for “High Rollers” began to roll out in February.
“How cool is this,” Scarlet Pearl CEO LuAnn Pappas posted on Facebook as the casino was preparing for Super Bowl weekend.
Writer Chris Sivertson crafted a story that takes master thief Mason (John Travolta) on an island-hopping adventure with his crew and the love of his life, Decker (Gina Gershon) and a sea of stolen cash. His nemesis kidnaps his girlfriend and forces Mason and his crew to attempt a near-impossible casino heist in exchange for her return.
Coastin’ on fancy wheels
The previews show intense scenes from the action thriller and depict the casino as “a decadent playground for the rich and famous.”
The filmmakers used a Lotus, an Aston Martin and other exotic cars owned by local residents near the entrance to the resort as part of the filming.
They also found a swanky car for Travolta to drive.
“We had the vehicle listed,” said Chris Gipson, managing partner Gulf Coast Exotic Auto in Gulfport, which is owned by Ivan Spinner. “Just like any lead, I guess somebody noticed it on a website. They emailed us first, and then we just talked about it and kind of worked out a deal.”
The silver, 2014 Audi R8 V10, two-seater coupe had a gated manual shift that instead of a boot has an open metal plate for shifting.
“We actually had one of our guys come down and show him,” he said, but Travolta already knew how to drive it.
Two years ago the going price for the car was $160,000 to $170,000, Gipson said. The model has come down in price a little since then.
After the movie, the dealership found someone to buy the car.
“It was not John,” he said.
This story was originally published March 14, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
