Gemini Man: Will Smith in Talks to Star in Clone Assassin Film

Will Smith is in talks to star in the long-in-development clone assassin movie, Gemini Man. The project was first introduced 20 years ago at Disney, initially pitched by Darren Lemke, with Don Murphy producing and Tony Scott set to direct. Despite it being a popular project for studio executives both in and outside of Disney, it never moved forward due to visual effects technology being deemed too far behind the project’s needs. Throughout the years, many actors and directors have been associated with the project, which has since been picked up by Skydance.

It’s easy to see why visual effects technology has caused the 20-year delay in getting the project into development. The plot centers around an aging assassin pitted against his greatest adversary: a 25 year younger clone of himself, at peak physical condition. The original concept saw an older actor pitted against a younger actor, but the decision to have one actor play both parts landed the film in a developmental purgatory. The script underwent many changes, and the studio conducted many camera tests to no avail. Now that technology has finally caught up, however, it looks as though Gemini Man will finally get made.

As of a few days ago, it was revealed Ang Lee is in talks to direct Gemini Man, with Jerry Bruckheimer producing and Don Murphy executive producing. According to a new report from THR, Gemini Man may have found its leading man. Actor Will Smith is currently in talks to star in the action thriller, and the news comes hot on the heels of the announcement that Smith is in talks to play the Genie in Disney’s live-action adaptation of Aladdin.

Scheduling conflicts could still factor into Smith’s decision to sign on with the film. There are a lot of projects currently piling up on the star’s plate. Though the sequel for Suicide Squad is still on the hunt for a director, Smith is expected to reprise his role as Deadshot. He’s also slated to star in Bad Boys for Life, scheduled for release late next year. If talks are finalized for his role as Genie in the live-action version of Aladdin, then the actor may be too busy to take on additional projects.

However, Smith is no stranger to sci-fi action films, having found great box office success in movies like Men in Black, Independence Day, and I, Robot. If Lee’s negotiations to helm Gemini Man are finalized, that may further entice the actor to sign on to the project. Lee’s previously demonstrated not only a knack for storytelling, but a strong grasp at visual aesthetic as well with his Oscar winning films Brokeback Mountain and Life of Pi. It may not be set in stone, but it looks promising that Gemini Man may finally come to fruition with great talent attached.



[Screen Rant]