Ang Lee decided to shoot 2016’s failed “Billy’s Long Halftime Walk” at 120 frames per second in 3D and at 4K HD resolution, Lee termed it the "Whole Shebang". It was the very first feature film ever to be shot at such a high frame rate, which is five times the standard speed of 24 fps. If his groundbreaking use of 3D in "Life of Pi" was cause enough to have our expectations piqued for "Billy Lynn," the film ended up being a victim of its own technological breakthrough - in fact, it felt like a staged gimmick rather than a fully absorbing cinematic experience.
Despite the film’s mixed-to-negative reviews and its failure to ignite at the box-office, Lee hasn’t called it quits just yet on the technology. In fact, he’s not going down without a fight. The Asian-American filmmaker still believes in the technology as Paramount announced, earlier today, that the director’s upcoming science-fiction thriller “Gemini Man” will be shot in 3D at 120 frames per second and 4k resolution.
Paramount sent out a letter to theater chain exhibitors ahead of CinemaCon asking them to test their equipment to see if they will be able to screen “Gemini Man” in its intended 120fps/4k/3D format. The letter provided specific instructions on how to conduct a High Frame Rate test and called 120fps/4k/3D the “most pristine and immersive format” for showing the film.
“We want to do everything possible to make projecting the high frame rate version of ‘Gemini Man’ a turnkey experience for you and provide audiences with the latest technological advancement in cinema,” the letter reads.
Lee's career has been a rather odd one. Of course, the greatness of his peak years (1994-2005) can be underestimated: “Sense and Sensibility," "The Ice Storm," "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," and "Brokeback Mountain." Post-2005? It's been a little more up and down. I really liked "Lust, Caution" but many felt it was the beginning of Lee's dip into lower quality cinema. I can't say I disagree with that aforementioned assessment, especially when it comes to "Taking Woodstock," "Life of Pi," and "Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk," all major studio films which had Lee's poetic style stripped off for a more mainstream affair.
"Gemini Man" is another major studio project for the Taiwanese-born filmmaker. It stars Will Smith as "An over-the-hill hitman that faces off against a younger clone of himself," and will be using Industrial Light and Magic "de-aging" on Smith. This is the same company that worked on “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” Michael Douglas appearing much younger in “Ant-Man” and the de-aging on Robert De Niro in Martin Scorsese’s upcoming "The Irishman.” Let's hope Lee has regained his artistic footing with "Gemini Man" because American cinema could sure use an Ang Lee at the summit of his powers right now. Lee is 64 years-old and not a spring chicken anymore, something tells me he will bounce back eventually, his talent is too hard to ignore, maybe a venture into lower-budgeted interdependent filmmaking could prove to be very beneficial for a career renaissance. "Gemini Man" is not that but it nevertheless sounds intriguing enough.
"Gemini Man" will be released on October 4th, 2019
This was inevitably going to happen. Taika Waititi's long-gestating "Star Wars" movie — first announced by Lucasfilm on May the 4th, 2020 — has been "put on ice."