Gemini Man
WILL SMITH COMES FACE TO FACE WITH HIMSELF IN ANG LEE’S GROUNDBREAKING GEMINI MAN. SFX FINDS OUT MORE
Never underestimate the staying power of a high concept… in Gemini Man, legendary assassin Henry (Will smith) finds himself pursued by a dogged and dangerous opponent: his 23-year-old self.
that may not sound too far off ryan Johnson’s Looper from 2012, but Gemini Man arguably got there first. the film’s script has been drifting around Hollywood since 1997, with a vast array of talent attached to it at various times. tony scott, Joe Carnhan and Curtis Hanson all came close to directing the film, while nicolas Cage, Clint eastwood and Harrison Ford were considered contenders for the role of Henry.
there was just one problem. How do you make a film with that premise workable without either casting a younger actor, or sticking your lead in an unconvincing wig and make-up and doubling up? it’s taken 22 years and director ang Lee to figure that one out…
ATTACK OF THE CLONE
“as soon as i heard the concept, i knew there was something [there] to grasp,” reveals Lee, of what first drew him to the project. “to me, it comes down to how you deal with yourself. if you could live your life again, what would you do? and if you looked at your future, would you want to hear advice?”
a passionate advocate of digital cinema, Lee saw Gemini Man as an opportunity to push the boundaries of the technology. the film was shot in eyepopping 4K resolution at 120 frames per second photography, giving it a hyperreal look that has to be seen to be believed. it also makes use of a truly groundbreaking special effect: its star. rather than de-age Will smith, as recent marvel projects have with robert downey Jr and michael douglas, the younger Henry was created entirely from CGI by the effects geniuses at Weta. Go and watch the trailer right now. Yep, the young Will smith is a 100% digital creation. Clearly we’ve come a long way in a short time from Rogue One’s placing of Grand moff tarkin deep in the uncanny valley.
to achieve this, actor victor Hugo played Junior against smith, giving the star someone
to react to. Later, the pair switched roles, with smith filming Junior’s scenes in a motioncapture suit with Hugo now providing Henry’s half of the role. Playing Junior required smith and Lee to look back on the star’s earlier roles with a critical eye. “When he plays young, he’s trying a different performance [style],” says Lee. “He’s a much better actor now than he was before… it’s mind-boggling to see the two of them together, with each other.” FEAT OF CLAY Helping and hindering Henry will be Scott Pilgrim’s mary elizabeth Winstead and Dr Strange’s Benedict Wong as his allies, while Clive Owen plays villainous Clay verris, the military mind who raised “Junior” to be the ultimate soldier. Owen says his character is “a man on a mission. He’s got a passion project that he believes in. He’s convinced that it’s the way to go, and it’s a specific project of his”.
Owen, for his part, wasn’t phased by the complicated demands of shooting such a technically intricate film. “everything takes longer,” he admits. “the scenes were shot a number of times. the process of capturing anything – you know, a camera angle, everything takes much, much longer. and then you’ve got some of the technical processes. But when you’re in the heart of it, when you’re doing a scene, you just get on with it.”
all of this technology and innovation, of course, counts for nothing without a good story and appealing characters – something that Lee believes the film will deliver in spades. “i always wanted to make him the most soulful character in the movie,” says Lee of deadly Junior, insisting that the clone isn’t a villain. “Like all of us going through life, we’ve lost innocence. We have our baggage. We have our pretence. We have our cover. We have our white lies. i wanted to make him the freshest human being in the whole movie.”
He is also excited about the possibilities that are still to be had in digital cinema, an area he feels is still ripe for exploration. “With this one, i’m really eager to find a new aesthetic, a new artifice, a new beauty, a new way of lighting performers,” he says. “i will continue to explore it. i think even if i go back to 2d, i would do something different. But right now, i’m still on the course of learning how to do this. i think it will take me quite a few more movies. it’s a learning process that’s humbling, but also very exciting. You get to explore a virgin land. You find so many new things.”
Gemini Man is released in cinemas on 11 October.