Film
WILL SMITH SPEAKS ON THE REVOLUTIONARY TECHNOLOGY BEHIND “GEMINI MAN” DURING THE GLOBAL PRESS CONFERENCE
Just a week ahead of Gemini Man‘s premiere, Paramount held a global press conference at YouTube Spaces in Los Angeles. Will Smith, who stars in both lead roles, his co-star Clive Owens, Academy Award-winning director Ang Lee, producer Jerry Bruckheimer, visual effects supervisor Bill Westenhofer, and Weta visual effects supervisor Guy Williams were in attendance.
The focus of the conversation, aside from talented performances and inspirations behind the script, was made on the significance of the technology used and how it would revolutionize the experience of watching films on the big screen.
Gemini Man has been in the works for about 10 years, Bruckheimer said. It took some time for the technology to catch up with the grand vision, which was to create a digital human, a leading character in a film.
“We’ve been toying around with digital humans a lot with stuntwork,” Williams told the journalists,” but to really break this barrier what we needed was a project that supported it … [to] truly have a digital human standing in front of the camera acting and resonating with the audience and delivering the lines, and serving the story. This film was the perfect opportunity to actually be able to bring it all together.”
Smith followed Williams’ comment by clarifying: “Junior is not de-aging. It’s not my face, and they smooth out my face to make it look younger. It’s a 100 percent digital human…”
Gemini Man is an innovative action-thriller starring Smith as Henry Brogan, an elite assassin, who is targeted and pursued by a young, skilled operative named Junior. Also starring are Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Clive Owen, and Benedict Wong.
Gemini Man opens in theaters on October 11, 2019.
You can check out the images from the press event below.
Will Smith attends the Global Press Conference in support of GEMINI MAN (Photo by Rachel Murray/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures) 
Clive Owen attends the Global Press Conference in support of GEMINI MAN (Photo by Rachel Murray/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures) 
Director Ang Lee attends the Global Press Conference in support of GEMINI MAN (Photo by Rachel Murray/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures) 
Weta Digital VFX supervisor Guy Williams and VFX supervisor Bill Westenhofer, actors Clive Owen and Will Smith, producer Jerry Bruckheimer, director Ang Lee, and moderator Scott Mantz (Photo by Rachel Murray/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures)
Film
‘A Snowy Day in Oakland:’ Nicole Ari Parker Stars in New Dramedy From ‘Sister, Sister’ Creator Kim Bass
A Snowy Day in Oakland is heading into theaters this week. The magical-realism comedy starring Nicole Ari Parker is gearing up to be introduced to the world on Friday, March 17. Hollywood Melanin sat down with the leading star to explore some of the critical issues addressed in the film.
At the center of the story is LaTrice (Parker), the successful psychologist from San Francisco who longs for a more purposeful life. Leaving her unfaithful, high-profile psychiatrist boyfriend and business partner behind, she establishes her practice in a vacant office space on a small commercial block across the bay in Oakland. Surrounded by minority-owned businesses, LaTrice is determined to provide support and gently guide the residents of this predominantly Black neighborhood to embrace the importance of communicating one’s feelings through therapy.
“I think there is an issue of trust in the Black community where we just keep our problems close to our chest,” Parker expressed while discussing mental healthcare in minority groups. “It’s also an expense. It’s an investment. So, when you are trying to make ends meet and prioritize your income, it feels like a luxury. But I think that that’s an expense worth taking.”
Helmed by Sister, Sister creator Kim Bass, the film was initially shot six years ago. Parker says she attributes her involvement in this project not just to the powerful and relevant script but also to “Kim’s vision, his magical realism, his playing with time, and his saturation of color,” she added, “We don’t really get to have that kind of whimsy in most independent Black films.”
Produced by Planet 9 Productions and distributed by People of Culture Studios, this dramatic comedy also explores other meaningful themes like navigating complex relationships and struggles of entrepreneurship. Those conversations are explored through the town’s biggest personalities, Davis (Deon Cole), Jeanette (Loretta Devine), Theona (Kimberly Elise), and Rodney (Evan Ross). The star-studded cast also includes Keith David, Marla Gibbs, Michael Jai White, Tony Plana, Arden Myrin, and others.
Watch A Snowy Day in Oakland in selected theaters on Friday, March 17. Watch the trailer below.
Netflix has released the first teaser of its upcoming star-studded comedy titled You People, helmed by Black-Ish creator Kenya Barris.
The cast includes Eddie Murphy, Jonah Hill, and Nia Long, who are featured in the first look clip. Also starring are Lauren London, David Duchovny, Nia Long, Sam Jay, Elliott Gould, Travis Bennett, Molly Gordon, Rhea Perlman, Deon Cole, Andrea Savage, Mike Epps, Emily Arlook, Alani La La Anthony, Bryan Greenberg, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
The official logline reads – A new couple (Hill and London) and their families find themselves examining modern love and family dynamics amidst clashing cultures, societal expectations, and generational differences.
The comedy is set to launch on January 27. Check out the first-look images below.
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