Some projects out there have, simply put, been rolling around forever. One of those is Gemini Man, a science fiction action thriller about an aging hitman who finds himself hunted by a young clone of himself. It has existed in some form or another at various studios for the past 20 years, after coming into existence at Disney in the mid-90s as a pitch by Darren Lemke (Goosebumps). Now, after lying dormant, it is breathing once more over at Skydance. Furthermore, none other than Ang Lee is in negotiations to direct it.
One of the big hang-ups during its development in the past was always how to tackle the casting of the leads. Two decades ago, studios were stuck coming up with believable casting combinations of two actors. Special make-ups, ala what was eventually done in Looper, were even considered. Nowadays, with CG de-aging technology used on a semi-regular basis, that worry might be a thing of the past. At least that’s what Skydance thinks, according to .
Assuming this iteration actually moves forward, it will be interesting to see who is cast in the lead. In the past, actors such as Harrison Ford and Mel Gibson were pursued to play the aging assassin. Who will be Ang Lee and Skydance’s target for this version? Tom Hanks? Keanu Reeves? Tom Cruise? The latter seems a definite possibility, given the production outfit’s working relationship with the actor and their first look deal at Paramount.
