New film starring Travolta has ties to the Florida Keys

The setting of the recent screening at Playa Largo for “The Gentleman Thief,” which stars John Travolta, could not have been more photogenic. If it were described in a script, the reader may not have believed the perfection of the scene: Elegantly dressed partygoers sipped cocktails next to trickling fountains and candelabra on a balconied deck as the sun set over the beach in the distance.

But the screening’s location at Playa Largo was fitting, since the resort was practically a main character in the film. Many of the scenes had been shot there in March and April of 2025. 

According to IMDB, “The Gentleman Thief” is the last of a trilogy and premiered on July 28. It has the classic storyline of a popcorn action flick: “A retired master thief must protect his impulsive brother from disaster when a $100M yacht heist spirals into a dangerous web of deception. Old foes emerge as the stakes rise, forcing him to use every trick he knows to stay alive.”

And while Travolta did not attend the screening, the film’s director, Randall Emmett, served as host. He clearly enjoyed mingling with partygoers, who included a few of the film’s cast members, family, friends and locals. 

“I called a friend and said, ‘I need a resort, we’re shooting in March,’” Emmett recalled during a relaxed chat with Keys Weekly. “All the resorts were like, ‘We’re jammed.’ And my friend suggested Playa Largo.

“I’d never been here, so I came down with my camera and it was like this,” he said, wordlessly sweeping his arm over the balcony’s views, which included the perfectly blue swimming pool, elegant architecture and landscaping, swaying palm trees, and the sea beyond.

“You can’t make this up. I can’t swing the camera and see all this,” he said. “Filming here was the best thing ever. We lived in the resort’s bungalows across the way, and just had to cross the street to film.”

Emmett said that while the exteriors were shot at locations including Miami and Playa Largo, the interiors were filmed on sets in Mississippi where they were less expensive. He also said that artificial intelligence, while not always ideal, is a great way to stay within budget. 

“I’m a very pragmatic person, but I’m old school, and I like to blow stuff up,” he joked.

He paused our interview to introduce his mother and daughter, who were there that night to hang out with family and enjoy both the screening and the pool.

“I love the Keys,” he continued. “I’ve been coming here since age zero. I’m born and raised in Miami, and I was certified for scuba diving at Pennekamp as a teenager. I have a house in Miami and L.A.”

Emmett said he is grateful for his time in high school at Miami’s New World School of the Arts. He described himself as not quite fitting in as a child and then finally finding his tribe at New World. 

“I give out six scholarships a year, and I try to bring actors and directors to speak at the school,” he said. “I got into this business not to be wealthy but to do something creative every day.” 

Emmett has made 150 films and currently has five in production. He has produced many star-driven action pictures as well as a few prestige titles: Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman” and “Silence,” and Mark Wahlberg’s hit movie “Lone Survivor.”

“I’m a producer, but I direct one a year. I woke up five or six years ago, and I was like, ‘God, what do I do, I’m burnt out,’” he said, breaking into laughter. Once he decided to direct, things fell into place. “I was like, this is great.”

Later that night, the showing of the film itself over the pool had a hometown feel. The viewers ate popcorn in lounge chairs and whooped whenever Emmett’s family, who had a few cameos, appeared on the screen.

“If you have any questions, come see me after in the bar,” Emmett said to the crowd during his introduction. “I love to entertain.”

“The Gentleman Thief” can be rented on streaming platforms including YouTube and AppleTV.