Big name Hollywood actors play the Selbees couple who won $26 million on the lottery

Bryan Cranston and Annette Bening (shown) as Jerry and Marge Selbee in the just-released film "Jerry and Marge Go Large". PHOTO: Tribeca Film Festival / Variety

Jerry and Marge Selbee were high school sweethearts who married in the 1960s and lived a quiet life in Evart, Michigan. That is until Jerry discovered a new Michigan Lottery game called Winfall, and found a secret way to win $26 million from it.

Now their story has been featured in a film starring two movie greats - Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), and double Golden Globe award winner Annette Bening.

The real Jerry and Marge Selbee, and a now-closed Cash Winfall game ticket.

It started in April 2018 when Levantine Films and Netter Films planned to produce a film adaptation of Jason Fagone's HuffPost article "Jerry and Marge Go Large", with Brad Copeland writing the screenplay.

In June 2021, it was announced that Paramount+ had agreed to the film, to be directed by David Frankel and to star Bryan Cranston and Annette Bening.

Bryan Cranston shares the story behind the plot of his new film, "Jerry and Marge Go Large," on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

Filming began in July 2021 in Georgia, with Rainn Wilson, Larry Wilmore and Jake McDorman joining the cast.

Then in August 2021, Uly Schlesinger, Michael McKean, Anna Camp, Ann Harada, and Devyn McDowell joined the cast.

This animated video shows the Selbee’s winning methods and their path to riches.

The film had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 15, 2022, and was released on Paramount+ two days later.

It had moderately favorable reviews, with Rotten Tomatoes giving positive reviews of 65% from 49 critics' reviews and an average rating of 5.8/10. The audience score has been a little more generous.

The Rotten Tomatoes review audience score has been a little more generous at 79% approval.

However, the website also said, "Instead of investing in its tremendously talented stars and outlandish fact-based story, Jerry & Marge Go Large gambles on a pile of worn-out clichés."

FULL REVIEW: ‘Jerry & Marge Go Large’ Review: Bryan Cranston as the Real-Life Math Geek Who Beat the Lottery