In the competitive world of streaming, a film that manages to stay at the top for more than four weeks is a notable achievement and this work of science fiction has achieved it by captivating the Netflix audience.
It’s been four years since Project Gemini, the bold sci-fi film directed by Ang Lee, captivated audiences with its surprising digital rejuvenation technology (on par with Sean Young in Blade Runner 2049 and Robert De Niro in The Irishman). , giving us a stunning glimpse of a younger Will Smith. Since then, Lee has not presented another project on the big screen. However, this work is experiencing a renaissance on the popular streaming platform, Netflix.
Ang Lee and Will Smith’s film is in Netflix’s global top 10
Project Gemini, which also stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Clive Owen and Benedict Wong, has not only maintained its place in the global top 10 for four consecutive weeks, but has also racked up 5.3 million views, equivalent to more than 10 million hours of playback. An intriguing fact, considering that the film has a duration of 117 minutes, which suggests that those who start it, stay until the end.
It is unfortunate that, due to the technical restrictions of the screens on Netflix, we cannot fully experience one of the film’s notable features: its astonishing “frame rate” of 120 frames per second (a revolutionary technique that had already been used in Billy Lynn : Honor and Feeling with Kristen Stewart). However, fortunately, we can enjoy his other impressive technical achievement: the aforementioned digital rejuvenation of Smith, a feat that allowed the actor of I Am Legend and Hancock to play two characters in the film.
Skydance Media
Project Gemini generated high expectations before its release, although unfortunately it failed to fully fulfill them. This was due, in part, to the impressive deployment of resources involved in the production. On the one hand, there was a massive economic investment, with a budget that reached 145 million dollars. However, the effort invested in carrying out this project transcended the financial. The film’s gestation dates back to 1997, when Darren Lemke submitted the first script, demonstrating the level of dedication and perseverance it took to finally bring this vision to the big screen.
Before materializing under the vision of the director of Brokeback Mountain and An Extraordinary Adventure, Project Gemini passed through the hands of several prominent filmmakers, each one leaving their mark on the project. Tony Scott, Mel Gibson, Curtis Hanson and Joe Carnahan followed one another in what the industry has labeled “production hell.” The curious thing is that, throughout these tumultuous years, names of iconic actors were considered for the role that Will Smith would ultimately play. From Harrison Ford to Chris O’Donnell, Nicolas Cage, Sean Connery and Clint Eastwood, everyone was considered at some point.
Skydance Media
Finally, Skydance and Paramount took the reins, stripping Disney of the rights, and undertook the final version. Under the direction of Ang Lee and with Will Smith at the helm, who took on the challenge of playing the two main characters – a lethal government assassin and his clone who is 30 years younger -, Project Gemini began its path to the big screen, although at It ultimately turned out to be a disaster in both critical and economic terms. Despite grossing $173 million at the box office, estimates indicate that the studio suffered losses of more than $100 million.
2023-10-20 02:14:52
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