Over Your Dead Body director Jorma Taccone reveals the scene he had to fight to keep in the movie, the SXSW reception, and praises the incredible cast.
Directed by Jorma Taccone, Over Your Dead Body is a genre-bending ride that, as he puts it, “goes hard”, ramping up the intensity with a series of twists and turns that effectively blend three different movies into one cohesive, chaotic experience. After testing exceptionally well with audiences, this movie with a violent edge is headed for a wide theatrical release on April 24, delivering a collective theater experience that leans into both dramatic tension and laugh-out-loud absurdity.
Mama’s Geeky sat down with director Jorma Taccone to discuss the film’s electric reception at SXSW 2026 and the creative battles fought behind the scenes. Taccone also dives into the importance of pushing his protagonist to his breaking point and the unique contributions of a cast that includes Jason Segel, Samara Weaving, and MMA fighter-turned-actor Keith Jardine.
Jorma Taccone On Over Your Dead Body: “This Is Absolutely The Right Vibe”
Mama’s Geeky: What was the atmosphere like premiering this film in front of the South by Southwest crowd?
Jorma Taccone: Honestly, I expected South by to have changed a bit… but they were laughing over all the jokes and I was like, “Yo turn it up, they need to hear this.” And then I was just like, “There’s no way this is going to go as hard as that.” And then I was like, “I think it did.”
“This movie goes, like it goes hard. It just ramps. It like, it like has so many twists and turns.”
Mama’s Geeky: At one point in the movie, there is a very meta conversation about directors sometimes having to change their film for the studio. As a director, was there a specific scene you really had to fight to keep in the final cut?
Jorma Taccone: That scene… when me and Jason [Segel] in particular, we’re looking at it, this character has committed the mortal sin. He’s your protagonist, but he’s committed the sin of wanting to kill his wife. Right? And you don’t know at the time that his wife has also committed that sin. But he needs to be broken down to his base elements. Both physically and mentally. And he needs to suffer because it’s also the reason he loses his finger. He loses his wedding ring. Those were things that I was like, we got to put that back in.
Mama’s Geeky: This cast is all amazing. What was it like working with Keith Jardine on the action sequences?
Jorma Taccone: Keith Jardine is… he’s an MMA fighter, and he does a lot of moves. I’m a fine director. I know what I’m doing. I feel very confident in that, but there are moves that he’s doing in the movie that are 100% him. And they are weird little choices that he makes, and I’m like, “Dude, he does the work.” He really does the work.
Want to hear more about the physical toll the roles took on the cast? Watch the full interview for more behind-the-scenes stories from Jorma Taccone.
About Over Your Dead Body
A dysfunctional couple head to a remote cabin to supposedly reconnect, but each has secret plans to kill the other.
