Will Smith’s Gemini Man is set to release in October 2019 and ‘Box office Pro’ has predicted its numbers for the opening weekend. The Sci-Fi thriller brings in a unique concept to the genre with Ang Lee calling Action!
The script sees Will Smith as an executioner wanting to give away his career as a killer and stumbling upon a clone of his younger self. The young doppelganger is blessed with a potentially toxic ability to predict his thoughts and actions.
Though the doubled up Smith factor looks like a selling point it may not turn out to be one of Will’s career highlights. Per ‘Box Office Pro’ the opening weekend will bring in between $25-30 million. That makes it join the pack of other moderate hits that Smith has had like Bad Boys II, Hitch, and I, Robot.
What does not really look in its favor is the time of its release. The movie releases one week after DC’s Joker. If the Joaquin Phoenix starrer works up its magic over mature audiences it could be bad news for Gemini Man.
Squaring off directly against Gemini Man in the same weekend is the animated feature The Addams Family. The film is expected to open somewhere in between $16-$21 million and is meant for a younger audience. Yes! It does not sound like much of a competition for a Will Smith fan-base, fascinated by movies like I Am Legend and Enemy of the State.
Another reason is the idea of the plot being drawn in from the trailers. Visually the pic draws in vibes similar to Looper and other movies in the “man vs self” genre. This could act against its success in the initial phase of release. Word of mouth could save some losses if the script out-does the impact of the movies it is being judged against.
Aladdin proved to be the highest point of Will Smith’s career. The movie came out in a time when it seemed like his presence was not enough to get an audience pouring in. Although Aladdin was more of a brand success, Smith’s portrayal of Genie was acclaimed by the audiences at large.
Speaking of Gemini Man, the nerdy buffs do have more to look forward to than just the faces and story. The surreal moment of having a de-aged Smith head-to-head his older self is a technological marvel to watch out for. And just like Ang Lee’s last venture Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, this film has a frame rate of 120 FPS. Not much of attention magnet, the format had invited concerns of diminishing cinematic experience owing to overtly realistic visuals.
Gemini Man is set for release on October 11. It is definitely untimely to predict its success rate without watching what it has in store. The audience’s perception without a doubt remains a major factor in powering up its numbers.
