Watch Bryan Cranston and Tracee Ellis Ross Masterfully Recreate The Shining in New Super Bowl Ad
In Mountain Dew‘s 30-second in-game advertisement for Super Bowl LIV, Breaking Bad‘s Bryan Cranston stars as Jack Torrance, the infamous main character Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 film adaptation of Stephen King’s novel The Shining. And while the role was already perfectly played by Jack Nicholson, it can’t be denied that Cranston’s portrayal of Torrance’s iconic ax-wielding rampage in the bathroom of the Overlook Hotel is pretty spot on.
In the new commercial, Cranston attempts to chop down the door as black-ish star Tracee Ellis Ross — playing the role of actress Shelley Duvall’s character Wendy Torrance — screams, terrified, in the corner of the bathroom with only a toilet brush to protect her from Cranston’s Mountain Dew-induced sugar rush.
RELATED: See The Shining Twins Now: The Iconic Pair Say They Are ‘Naturally Spooky’
Cranston taunts Ross’s character throughout the scene while touting the components of PepsiCo’s newest version of the soda: MTN DEW Zero Sugar.
“The same refreshing taste as the original,” he says hauntingly through the door as he brings his ax down, “but without any of the SUGAR!” Cranston finally breaks through, peeks through the makeshift hole, and exclaims, “Heeeere’s…Mountain Dew Zero!” while thrusting his arm through the broken wood and offering Ross the sugar-free beverage.
Ross immediately stops screaming and swatting at Cranston with the toilet brush, grabs the bottle from his hand, and says in a calm voice, “I am thirsty.”
But perhaps the best part of the commercial comes at the end, when Cranston takes over the role of both the young Grady twins from the 1980 film. He’s wearing clips in his hair and the iconic blue nightgown…perhaps in the original size, too, as the outfit is quite clearly ten sizes too small.
RELATED: Getting Ready for Super Bowl LIV: Fast Facts Ahead of the Big Game
“DEW launched a Zero Sugar product for the first time ever this January and we’re using our Super Bowl spot to tell fans it’s ‘As Good As the Original, Maybe Even Better.’ We partnered with two major Hollywood actors to help us tell that story on one of the world’s biggest stages,” said Mountain Dew’s Senior Marketing Director Erin Chin in a press release. “We hope fans will enjoy the unexpected humor and fantastic casting of Tracee and Bryan.”
The statement continues, “This modernized MTN DEW version of the story, further showcased how some things really can be as good as the original.”
WATCH: Jennifer Lopez Says She’s ‘Ready to Go’ During Super Bowl Rehearsal Video: ‘Waiting for My Cue’
The 49ers and the Chiefs will face-off at the Super Bowl LIV Sunday, Feb. 2 in Miami at the Hard Rock Stadium. The game will begin at 6:30 p.m. ET, airing on FOX.
Several streaming services will also have the Super Bowl available for live streaming — you’ll just have to pay for a subscription. Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV, DirecTV Now, and Fubo TV all include FOX, with per month prices ranging from $49.99 to $55.
