Gemini Man, a script that has bounced around multiple studios for the last 20 years, finally had some movement a few months back when Will Smith was in talks to star in the project. With Smith now on board, and Ang Lee set to take his place in the directors chair, Paramount have set a date for the high concept sci-fi thriller: October 4, 2019.
Smith is set to star as an ageing assassin attempting to leave the business but instead forced to fight a clone of himself who is 25 years younger.
The major sticking point for the film, and the main reason it hasn’t been made despite being set up originally at Disney in 1997, was how to achieve the cloning effects. At the time, technology was not advanced enough to get this done.
Fast forward to now, where Johnny Depp is being de-aged in the latest Pirates Of The Caribbean film and the same technique being used for Robert De Niro in Martin Scorsese‘s new project, The Irishman, and the whole process is a lot smoother and far easier to accomplish.
Lee has been one of Hollywood’s major auteurs for the last few decades, twice winning the Academy Award for Best Director – one for Brokeback Mountain in 2005, and another for Life Of Pi in 2012. His filmography is filled with interesting projects, though this would be his first genre film since arguably 2007’s Lust, Caution or even 2003’s Hulk.
With Gemini Man now able to be made and finally moving ahead after gestating for two decades, it’s fair to finally get excited about what Lee and Smith can conjure up together. October 2019 can’t come soon enough.
#Peace.Love.GeminiMan
