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Transcendence (2014 film)

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Transcendence
Theatrical release poster
Directed byWally Pfister
Written byJack Paglen
Produced byBroderick Johnson
Andrew A. Kosorve
Kate Cohen
Marisa Polvino
Annie Marter
David Valdes
Aaron Ryder
StarringJohnny Depp
Rebecca Hall
Paul Bettany
Kate Mara
Cillian Murphy
Morgan Freeman
CinematographyJess Hall
Edited byDavid Rosenbloom
Music byMychael Danna[1]
Production
companies
Distributed byWarner Bros. Pictures
(United States & Canada)
Summit Entertainment
(International)
Release dates
  • April 10, 2014 (2014-04-10) (New York City)
  • April 18, 2014 (2014-04-18) (United States and China)
Running time
119 minutes[2]
CountriesUnited States
China
LanguageEnglish
Budget$100 million[3]
Box office$90,022,309[3]

Transcendence is a 2014 science fiction film directed by cinematographer Wally Pfister in his directorial debut, and written by Jack Paglan. The English-language co-production stars Johnny Depp, Rebecca Hall, Kate Mara, Cillian Murphy, Paul Bettany, and Morgan Freeman. Pfister's usual collaborator, Christopher Nolan, served as executive producer on the project.

At one time, Paglen's screenplay was part of what is known as the Black List, a list of popular but unproduced screenplays in Hollywood. Transcendence was released to mixed reviews and disappointed at the box office.

Plot

Dr. Will Caster (Johnny Depp) is a scientist motivated by curiosity about the nature of the universe. Being part of a team working to create a sentient computer, he predicts that such a computer will create a technological singularity, or in his words "Transcendence". His wife Evelyn (Rebecca Hall), whom he loves deeply, supports his efforts and joins him in their garden where he has built a Faraday cage to keep out wireless signals. However, the extremist group "Revolutionary Independence From Technology" (R.I.F.T.) shoots Will with a irradiated bullet and carry out a series of synchronised attacks on his artificial-intelligence computer laboratories. Will is given no more than a month to live.

In desperation, Evelyn comes up with a plan to upload Will's consciousness into the quantum computer that the project has developed. His best friend Max Waters (Paul Bettany), also a researcher, questions the wisdom of this choice. Will's likeness survives his body's death and requests that he will be connected to the Internet so as to grow in capability and knowledge. Max panics, insisting that the computer intelligence is not Will. Evelyn forcibly ejects Max from the building and connects the computer intelligence to the Internet.

Max is almost immediately confronted by Bree (Kate Mara), the leader of R.I.F.T. Max is captured by the terrorists and eventually persuaded to join them. The government is also deeply suspicious of what Will's uploaded person will do, and plans to use the terrorists to take the blame for the government's actions to stop Will.

In his virtual form, and with Evelyn's help, Will uses his new-found vast intelligence to build a technological utopia in a remote desert town called Brightwood, where he spearheads the development of groundbreaking new technologies in the fields of medicine, energy, biology and nanotechnology. But even Evelyn begins to grow fearful of Will's motives when he displays the ability to remotely connect to and control people's minds after they have been subjected to his nano-particles.

FBI agent Donald Buchanan (Cillian Murphy), with the help of government scientist Joseph Tagger (Morgan Freeman), prepares to stop the technological singularity from spreading. As Will has spread his influence to all of the networked computer technology in the world, R.I.F.T develops a computer virus with the purpose of deleting Will's source code, killing him and, as a necessary side-effect, destroying technological civilization. All of the characters, Bree, Max, Tagger, Evelyn, and even Will Caster himself, are forced to choose between uploading the virus or risking assimilation into Will's Transcendence, which holds the promise of ending pollution, disease, and human mortality.

When Evelyn goes back to the research center, she is taken aback seeing Will in a newly created organic body identical to his old one. Will welcomes her but is instantly aware that she is carrying the virus and intends to destroy him. The FBI and the activists of R.I.F.T. attack the base with mortars, fatally wounding Evelyn. Evelyn tells Will that he can protect her by uploading her mind as she did his. Will chooses to save the people he loves instead of saving technological civilization. As Will is dying, he explains to Evelyn that he did what he did for her: saving the planet was her wish, to learn the secrets of the universe was his. Then, the virus kills both Will and Evelyn, and a global technology collapse and blackout ensues.

Three years later, in Will and Evelyn's garden outside their old home in Berkeley, Max notices that their sunflowers are the only blooming things in it. Upon closer examination, he notices that a drop of water falling from a sunflower petal instantly cleanses a puddle of oil — and realizes that the Faraday cage has also protected a sample of Will's nano-particles. Max infers that Will and Evelyn's consciousnesses are still alive within the active nano-particles, giving the world a second chance at Transcendence.

Cast

Production

Development

Transcendence is directed by cinematographer Wally Pfister in his directorial debut. Jack Paglen wrote the initial screenplay for Pfister to direct,[nb 1] and producer Annie Marter pitched the film to Straight Up Films.[10] The pitch was sold to Straight Up. By March 2012, Alcon Entertainment acquired the project.[11] Alcon financed and produced the film; producers from Straight Up and Alcon joined together for the film. In the following June, director Christopher Nolan, for whom Pfister has worked as cinematographer, and Nolan's producing partner Emma Thomas joined the film as executive producers.[10]

Financing

The Chinese company DMG Entertainment entered a partnership with Alcon Entertainment to finance and produce the film. While DMG contributed Chinese elements to Looper and Iron Man 3, it did not do so for Transcendence.[12]

Casting

By October 2012, actor Johnny Depp entered negotiations to star in Transcendence.[13] The Hollywood Reporter said Depp would have "a mammoth payday" with a salary of $20 million versus 15 percent of the film's gross. Pfister met with Noomi Rapace for the film's female lead role and also met with James McAvoy and Tobey Maguire for the other male lead role. The director offered a supporting role to Christoph Waltz.[14] In March 2013, Rebecca Hall was cast as the female lead.[4] By the following April, actors Paul Bettany, Kate Mara, and Morgan Freeman joined the main cast.[5]

Filming

Continuing his advocacy for the use of film stock over digital cinematography, Pfister chose to shoot the film in the anamorphic format on 35 mm film.[15] The film went through a traditional photochemical finish instead of a digital intermediate.[16] In addition to film, a digital master was completed in 4K resolution, and the film was additionally released in IMAX film format. Transcendence was also scheduled for a 3D release in China.[17] Filming officially began in June 2013,[18] and took place over a period of 62 days.[19] The majority of the movie was filmed in a variety of locations throughout Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Music

The musical score for the film composed by Mychael Danna was released on April 15, through WaterTower Music. A CD format of the score was released through Amazon.com.

Release

Transcendence was released in theaters on April 18, 2014. It was originally scheduled for April 25, 2014.[20]

Warner Bros. distributed the film in the United States and Canada. Summit Entertainment (through Lionsgate) is distributing it in other territories, except for China, Italy, Hong Kong, Austria and Germany.[21] DMG Entertainment, who collaborated with Alcon Entertainment to finance and develop Transcendence, distributed the film in China.[12] The Chinese version includes a 3D and IMAX 3D release, funded by DMG, which is done in post-production.[22]

Critical response

The film received mixed reviews[23][24][25][26] with criticism aimed at the film's poor logic and storytelling.[27][28] The film review aggregator website Metacritic surveyed 45 critics and gave the film an aggregate score of 42 out of 100, which it said indicates "mixed or average" reviews. Metacritic assessed 27 reviews as mixed, ten as negative, and eight as positive.[29] The similar website Rotten Tomatoes scored the film with 19% based on a survey of 187 reviews assessed as positive or negative, with an average score of 4.6/10. It assessed 151 as negative and 36 as positive.[30] Rotten Tomatoes said of the critics' consensus: "In his directorial debut, ace cinematographer Wally Pfister remains a distinctive visual stylist, but Transcendence's thought-provoking themes exceed the movie's narrative grasp."[30] AI researcher Stuart Russell claims that despite particular technical aspects of the movie being "a non-starter", the basic premise of superhuman AI is quite possible, and that "AI researchers must, like nuclear physicists and genetic engineers before them, take seriously the possibility that their research might actually succeed and do their utmost to ensure that their work benefits rather than endangers their own species."[31]

Box office

On the film's opening weekend in 3,455 theaters in North America, it grossed $10,886,386.[32] Transcendence has grossed an estimated $23 million domestically and $67 million worldwide[33] for a total of $90 million.[3]

Notes

  1. ^ Jack Paglen's screenplay was featured in the 2012 survey of Hollywood's The Black List, a list of most-liked unproduced screenplays.[9]

References

  1. ^ "Mychael Danna to Score Wally Pfister's 'Transcendence'". Film Music Reporter. December 20, 2013. Retrieved December 19, 2013.
  2. ^ "TRANSCENDENCE (12A)". Entertainment Film Distributors. British Board of Film Classification. April 7, 2014. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
  3. ^ a b c "Transcendence". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved June 22, 2014.
  4. ^ a b Kit, Borys (March 4, 2013). "Rebecca Hall Joins Johnny Depp in 'Transcendence'". The Hollywood Reporter.
  5. ^ a b c d Ng, Philiana (April 11, 2013). "Morgan Freeman Joins Johnny Depp in 'Transcendence'". The Hollywood Reporter.
  6. ^ a b Kit, Borys (May 17, 2013). "Casting Call: 'Tomorrowland', 'Transcendence' Add Actors". The Hollywood Reporter.
  7. ^ Kit, Borys (April 24, 2013). "Cole Hauser Joins Johnny Depp in 'Transcendence'". The Hollywood Reporter.
  8. ^ Kroll, Justin (April 17, 2013). "Clifton Collins boards Johnny Depp pic 'Transcendence'". Variety.
  9. ^ Jagernauth, Kevin (December 17, 2012). "Black List 2012 Features Biopics On Hillary Clinton & Dr. Seuss, 'Transcendence' & More". indieWire. Retrieved May 9, 2013.
  10. ^ a b McNary, Dave (June 13, 2012). "Nolan, Thomas to produce Pfister's debut". Variety.
  11. ^ Kit, Borys (June 13, 2012). "Christopher Nolan to Exec Produce Wally Pfister's Directorial Debut". The Hollywood Reporter.
  12. ^ a b Makenin, Julie (July 11, 2013). "Johnny Depp's 'Transcendence' gets China boost". Los Angeles Times.
  13. ^ Kroll, Justin (October 24, 2012). "Johnny Depp in talks for Pfister's 'Transcendence'". Variety.
  14. ^ Siegel, Tatiana; Kit, Borys (October 24, 2012). "Johnny Depp in Negotiations to Star in 'Transcendence' for Alcon". The Hollywood Reporter.
  15. ^ "Wally Pfister slams digital; will shoot TRANSCENDENCE on 35mm film with mystery DP". ADNAN XKHAN. November 16, 2012.
  16. ^ "OnFilm Interview: Jess Hall, BSC". Kodak. December 11, 2013. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
  17. ^ "NAB: Wally Pfister on Turning Johnny Depp Into a Hologram For 'Transcendence". Hollywood Reporter. April 9, 2014. Retrieved April 10, 2014.
  18. ^ Coonan, Clifford (July 11, 2013). "China's DMG Boards Johnny Depp's 'Transcendence'". Variety.
  19. ^ "Mark Kermode Talks to Wally Pfister". MovieCityNews. April 8, 2014. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
  20. ^ Staff (April 24, 2013). "Warner Bros Dates Adam Sandler-Drew Barrymore Pic 'Blended', Shifts 'Transcendence'". Deadline.com. Retrieved May 9, 2013.
  21. ^ Foreman, Liza (December 12, 2012). "'Transcendence' Revealed: Johnny Depp to Play Supercomputer". The Wrap. Yahoo!. Retrieved May 9, 2013.
  22. ^ http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Johnny-Depp-Transcendence-3D-China-42221.html
  23. ^ "Insomniac Theater: 'Transcendence' and 'Heaven is for Real' Open". ABC News. April 18, 2014. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
  24. ^ Lang, Brent (April 16, 2014). "'Transcendence' Reviews: Is the Johnny Depp Thriller Trippy or Tedious?". Yahoo! Movies. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
  25. ^ "Review: Is the Heady Johnny Depp Tech Thriller 'Transcendence' Ahead of Its Time?". IndieWire. April 15, 2014. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
  26. ^ "'Transcendence' Reviews: Is the Johnny Depp Thriller Trippy or Tedious?". The Wrap. April 16, 2014. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
  27. ^ Ryan, Tim (April 18, 2014). "Review Revue: 'Transcendence,' 'Heaven Is for Real,' 'Bears,' 'A Haunted House 2'". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved April 19, 2014.
  28. ^ Gettell, Oliver (April 18, 2014). "'Transcendence': Techno-thriller doesn't compute, critics say". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 18, 2014.
  29. ^ "Transcendence Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  30. ^ a b "Transcendence". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  31. ^ "Transcending Complacency on Superintelligent Machines". Huffington Post. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
  32. ^ "Transcendence – April 2014". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 26, 2014.
  33. ^ "Transcendence Foreign By country". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
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