Some projects take longer than others to materialize. This is particularly the case of “Gemini Man”, the film by Ang Lee with Will Smith as headliner, which waited more than 20 years before finally seeing the light of day.
Gemini Man: Will Smith facing his double
In Gemini Man, Will Smith plays Henry Brogan, an ex-soldier converted into a hitman. While he thinks very seriously about retiring after his last contract, he realizes that another killer is on his heels. Very quickly, he understands that his opponent is his double, younger, and just as strong as him.
Since the early 2010s and Life of Pi, Ang Lee takes a close interest in technological advances in cinema. His arrival on board the project Gemini Man, therefore, made sense in a certain way. Like with A day in the life of Billy Lynne decides to use the format 120 frames per second, in addition to shooting in 4K and 3D. As a reminder, the standard format for cinema films is still 24 frames per second.
This, therefore, makes Gemini Man a film at the cutting edge of technology, with the ambition of immersing us as much as possible in the action and literally impressing us. Added to this is complex post-production with the massive use of digital rejuvenation. It is because of this point in particular that Gemini Man took over 20 years to come to fruition.
When technology is delayed
Originally, a screenplay was born in 1997, with Disney at the controls, and Tony Scott who was one of the directors approached to put it in pictures. In the cast, Nicolas Cage, Sean Connery, or even Clint Eastwood could have taken the main role, the first being even attached to the project until 2010. But the company stammered at length, to the point of falling into development hell.
The big question mark was indeed the special effects. It was necessary that the lead actor’s younger twin be convincing and, like other projects before (we can think of the trilogy Star Wars for example), the wisest decision was to wait until the right technology exists.
Whatever one thinks of the film, it is solid from a formal point of view. The rejuvenation of Will Smith is not a big surprise, the cinema has already handled the process in the past. In contrast, 120 fps which is the most interesting point, remains an advance that is still too marginal in the industry.
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