Project Power

Last updated

Project Power
Project Power poster.jpeg
Promotional release poster
Directed by
Written by Mattson Tomlin
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyMichael Simmonds
Edited byJeff McEvoy
Music by Joseph Trapanese
Production
companies
  • Screen Arcade
  • Supermarche
Distributed by Netflix
Release date
  • August 14, 2020 (2020-08-14)
Running time
114 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$85.1 million [2]

Project Power is a 2020 American science fiction action film [3] directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, produced by Eric Newman and Bryan Unkeless, and written by Mattson Tomlin. It stars Jamie Foxx, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Dominique Fishback, alongside Colson Baker, Rodrigo Santoro, Amy Landecker and Allen Maldonado, and follows a drug dealer, a police officer, and a former soldier who team up to stop the distribution of a pill that gives the user superpowers for five minutes.

Contents

The film was released on August 14, 2020, by Netflix. It received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics, who praised the performances of the cast, action sequences and visuals but criticized the screenplay. [4]

Plot

In near-future New Orleans, a mysterious distributor offers a free supply of "Power"—a pill that grants various superpowers for five minutes—to a group of drug dealers, including one named Newt.

Six weeks later, Newt's teenage cousin Robin, a dealer herself, is nearly robbed by customers seeking Power. She is rescued by NOPD Officer Frank Shaver, one of her regular buyers. Art, a man hunting for the distributor "Biggie", tracks down Newt, who dies after a struggle when he overdoses on Power. Frank foils a bank robbery by a Power-enhanced thief, but is suspended for using Power himself. His captain reveals that government personnel are pressuring him to terminate any investigation into Power, and gives Frank a picture of the man they suspect to be the source of the drug: Art.

Using Newt's phone to find and abduct Robin, Art forces her to take him to the drug cartel's safehouse. He is shot while eliminating several of the cartel's men, and discovers that Power users throughout New Orleans are being monitored as test subjects for the drug. Art bonds with Robin as they treat his wounds, and reveals that after leaving the military, he was recruited by Teleios, a private defense contractor who experimented on him to create superpowers. His daughter Tracy, born after the experiments, exhibited powers without ever taking the drug, and was abducted by Wallace, a Teleios operative.

Art and Robin find Biggie hosting a private demonstration of Project Power for a potential buyer near the Superdome, where large groups of Saints fans are arriving for a home game. Biggie claims that Power represents "the next evolution of the human species", with the pill's powers derived from the abilities of animals, such as the chameleon or the wolverine frog. Art interrogates Biggie at gunpoint and learns of a ship, the Genesis, but Frank intervenes, having tracked other users to the demonstration. Biggie takes a dose of Power, forcing Art, Robin, and Frank to flee as Art kills Biggie in an explosion.

Frank arrests Art and informs his captain, but Art explains that the Power epidemic in New Orleans is mass testing to stabilize the drug, and that Tracy is the source of the drug's powers. Having convinced Frank that his captain is actually taking orders from Teleios, Art purposely has himself captured by Teleios and taken aboard the Genesis. Frank and Robin infiltrate the ship, and Art persuades a guard to free him. Frank and Art kill Wallace, while Robin finds Tracy and reunites her with her father.

As the four attempt to flee, Robin is captured by Dr. Gardner, the head of Project Power, who demands Tracy in exchange for Robin's life. Art confronts Gardner, using Power, which gives him the ability of a pistol shrimp to finally kill Gardner and her men. Despite this costing Art his life, Tracy ultimately resurrects him with her powers. They all escape the ship.

Frank intends to expose Project Power to the press, while Art decides to move on. He gives Robin his truck and a bag full of money to cover her mother's medical needs, telling her to use the greatness inside of her. Art and Tracy depart, finally free. Meanwhile, Robin begins a new career as a rapper.

Cast

Production

In October 2017, it was announced that Netflix had acquired Mattson Tomlin's spec script Power in a bidding war with several other studios. Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost would direct the film, with Eric Newman and Bryan Unkeless producing. [5] In September 2018, Jamie Foxx, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Dominique Fishback joined the cast of the then-untitled film. [6] [7] In October 2018, Rodrigo Santoro, Amy Landecker, Allen Maldonado, Kyanna Simone Simpson, Andrene Ward-Hammond, Machine Gun Kelly, and Casey Neistat joined the cast of the film. [8] [9] In November 2018, Jim Klock joined the cast of the film. [10] In December 2018, Courtney B. Vance joined the cast of the film. [11] In July 2020, it was announced that the film would officially be titled Project Power. [12]

Filming

Principal photography began on October 8, 2018 and concluded on December 22, 2018. [13] [14] Filming took place in New Orleans. [15] [16] On October 31, 2018, Joseph Gordon-Levitt was injured during filming while riding a bicycle. [16] The film had a total production budget of $85.1 million, with $80.4 million spent on-location in Louisiana. [2]

Reception

Viewership

Project Power was released by Netflix on August 14, 2020. [17] It was the top-streamed film on the platform in its first two weekends before finishing in second place in its third. [18] [19] [20] In October 2020, Netflix reported 75 million households watched the film over its first four weeks of release. [21] In November, Variety reported the film was the 12th-most watched straight-to-streaming title of 2020 up to that point. [22]

Critical response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 61% based on 178 reviews, with an average rating of 5.7/10. The website's critics' consensus reads: "Although it wastes some of the potential of its premise, Project Power is a slick, fun action thriller - and features a star-making turn from Dominique Fishback." [23] Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 51 out of 100, based on 35 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [24]

Writing for The Hollywood Reporter , David Rooney said that "what makes Project Power entertaining is its canny combination of familiar ingredients in a textured real-world milieu that gives it fresh flavor." [25] Kate Erbland of IndieWire gave the film a "C+" and said that "Project Power wrestles with a litany of thorny moral issues (and not only those of the 'great power, great responsibility' vibe) but never fully engages with them. There's broad strokes about the impact of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans residents, and a paper-thin exploration of the criminal implications of a cop not only using the drug, but buying it off a teenage dealer." [26]

Accolades

AwardDate of ceremonyCategoryRecipient(s)ResultRef.
Visual Effects Society Awards April 6, 2021 Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature Ivan Moran, Leslie Hough, Joao Sita, Matthew Twyford, Yves DebonoNominated [27]
Outstanding Effects Simulations in a Photoreal FeatureYin Lai Jimmy Leung, Jonathan Edward Lyddon-Towl, Pierpaolo Navarini, Michelle LeeWon
Outstanding Compositing in a Photoreal FeatureRussell Horth, Matthew Patience, Julien RousseauWon

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamie Foxx</span> American actor, comedian, and singer (born 1967)

Eric Marlon Bishop, known professionally as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He received acclaim for his portrayal of Ray Charles in the film Ray (2004), winning the Academy Award, BAFTA, Screen Actors Guild Award, and Golden Globe Award for Best Actor. That same year, he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the crime film Collateral.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Brodie-Sangster</span> English actor (born 1990)

Thomas Brodie-Sangster is an English actor. He is known for playing Sam in Love Actually (2003), Simon in Nanny McPhee (2005), Ferb in Phineas and Ferb (2007–2015), Jojen Reed in Game of Thrones (2013–2014), Newt in the Maze Runner film series (2014–2018), and Benny Watts in the Netflix miniseries The Queen's Gambit (2020), for which he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Foxx</span> Musical artist

John Foxx is an English singer, musician, artist, photographer, graphic designer, writer, teacher and lecturer. He was the original lead singer of the new wave band Ultravox, before leaving to embark on a solo career in 1980 with the album Metamatic.

<i>Collateral</i> (film) 2004 neo-noir action thriller film by Michael Mann

Collateral is a 2004 American neo-noir action thriller film directed and produced by Michael Mann from a script by Stuart Beattie and starring Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx. The supporting cast includes Jada Pinkett Smith, Mark Ruffalo, Peter Berg, Javier Bardem, and Bruce McGill. The film follows Max Durocher, a Los Angeles cab driver, and his customer, Vincent. When offered a high fare for driving to several locations, Max agrees but soon finds himself taken hostage by Vincent who turns out to be a hitman on a contract killing spree.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph Gordon-Levitt</span> American actor (born 1981)

Joseph Leonard Gordon-Levitt is an American actor. He has received various accolades, including nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his leading performances in 500 Days of Summer (2009) and 50/50 (2011). He is the founder of the online media platform HitRecord whose projects such as HitRecord on TV (2014–15) and Create Together (2020) won him two Primetime Emmy Awards in the category of Outstanding Interactive Program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rian Johnson</span> American writer, director and producer

Rian Craig Johnson is an American filmmaker. He made his directorial debut with the neo-noir mystery film Brick (2005), which received positive reviews and grossed nearly $4 million on a $450,000 budget. Transitioning to higher-profile films, Johnson achieved mainstream recognition for writing and directing the science-fiction thriller Looper (2012) to critical and commercial success. Johnson landed his largest project when he wrote and directed the space opera Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), which grossed over $1 billion. He returned to the mystery genre with Knives Out (2019) and its sequel Glass Onion (2022), both of which earned him Academy Award nominations for Best Original Screenplay and Best Adapted Screenplay, respectively.

Marek Ariel Schulman is an American filmmaker and actor. He starred in, produced, and directed the 2010 documentary Catfish, and co-directed Paranormal Activity 3, Paranormal Activity 4, Nerve and Project Power with Henry Joost.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Newman (producer)</span> American film producer

Eric Newman is an American film and television producer and writer and the founder of Grand Electric, an LA-based production company with overall deals in both TV and film with Netflix. He is the showrunner of Narcos, Narcos: Mexico, True Story, and the upcoming Zero Day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Joost</span> American film director

Henry Joost is a German-born American filmmaker, whose work includes directing, with Ariel Schulman, the films Catfish, Paranormal Activity 3, Paranormal Activity 4, Nerve and Project Power. Henry is married to actress Sofia Black-D'Elia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamie Foxx filmography</span> List of films featuring Jamie Foxx

The following is the filmography of American actor, singer, songwriter, record producer, and comedian Jamie Foxx.

<i>Robin Hood</i> (2018 film) Action film directed by Otto Bathurst

Robin Hood is a 2018 American action-adventure film directed by Otto Bathurst and written by Ben Chandler and David James Kelly, from a story by Chandler. It is a quasi-contemporary retelling of the Robin Hood legend, and follows his training by John to steal from the Sheriff of Nottingham. The film stars Taron Egerton as Robin, and features Jamie Foxx, Ben Mendelsohn, Eve Hewson, Tim Minchin and Jamie Dornan in supporting roles. Returning home to England to learn the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham (Mendelsohn) has seized his family estate, aristocrat Robin of Loxley joins forces with Friar Tuck (Minchin) and Little John (Foxx) – a fierce Arabian warrior who wants to put an end to the Crusades. Armed with arrows and dubbed Robin Hood, Loxley leads a band of oppressed rebels in a daring plan to rob the Sheriff of his money and take away his power.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baran bo Odar</span> German film and television director

Baran bo Odar is a German film and television director and screenwriter. He is known for co-creating the Netflix series Dark (2017–2020) and 1899 (2022) with his creative and romantic partner, Jantje Friese.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dominique Fishback</span> American actress

Dominique Fishback is an American actress. She played Billie Rowan on Show Me a Hero, Darlene on The Deuce, and Deborah Johnson in Judas and the Black Messiah, the latter of which earned nominations for a Critics' Choice Movie Award, and a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. In 2023, she began starring in the Amazon Prime Video psychological horror series Swarm; her performance in the series has received universal praise, earning her a nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards.

<i>7500</i> (film) 2019 action-thriller film

7500 is a 2019 action-thriller film written by Senad Halilbašić and Patrick Vollrath and directed by Vollrath in his directorial feature-length film debut. It stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Tobias Ellis, a pilot whose plane is hijacked by terrorists. An international co-production between Austria, Germany, and the United States, filming took place in November 2017 in Cologne and Vienna. The title is in reference to Emergency Transponder Code for "unlawful interference".

<i>The Sandman</i> (TV series) Fantasy drama television series

The Sandman is an American fantasy drama television series based on the 1989–1996 comic book written by Neil Gaiman and published by DC Comics. The series was developed by Gaiman, David S. Goyer, and Allan Heinberg for the streaming service Netflix and is produced by DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Television. Like the comic, The Sandman tells the story of Dream / Morpheus, the titular Sandman. The series stars Tom Sturridge as the title character, with Boyd Holbrook, Vivienne Acheampong, and Patton Oswalt in supporting roles.

Mattson Tomlin is a filmmaker and writer.

<i>Dad Stop Embarrassing Me!</i> 2021 American comedy streaming television series

Dad Stop Embarrassing Me! is an American comedy streaming television series created by Jamie Foxx and Jim Patterson that premiered on Netflix on April 14, 2021. In June 2021, the series was canceled after one season.

<i>They Cloned Tyrone</i> 2023 film by Juel Taylor

They Cloned Tyrone is a 2023 American science fiction comedy mystery film directed by Juel Taylor, in his feature film directorial debut, from a screenplay he wrote with Tony Rettenmaier. It stars John Boyega, Teyonah Parris, and Jamie Foxx as an unlikely trio uncovering a government cloning conspiracy. David Alan Grier and Kiefer Sutherland also appear in supporting roles.

<i>Day Shift</i> (film) 2022 film by J. J. Perry

Day Shift is a 2022 American action comedy film directed by J. J. Perry in his directorial debut, written by Tyler Tice and Shay Hatten from a story by Tice, and starring Jamie Foxx as a blue-collar father whose pool-cleaning job is a front for his work as a vampire hunter. The film also stars Dave Franco, Snoop Dogg, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Meagan Good, Karla Souza, Steve Howey, and Scott Adkins.

Back in Action is an upcoming American action comedy film directed by Seth Gordon from a screenplay he co-wrote with Brendan O'Brien, and starring Jamie Foxx, Cameron Diaz, Kyle Chandler, and Glenn Close. The film is set to be distributed by the streaming service Netflix.

References

  1. ↑ "Project Power". Netflix . Archived from the original on August 11, 2020. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Initial Certification Search" (Type "Power" in the search box). Fastlane NextGen. Archived from the original on June 15, 2020. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
  3. ↑ "'Power' player: Jamie Foxx on his new Netflix film and becoming the first Black Pixar lead". EW.com. Archived from the original on August 20, 2020. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  4. ↑ Ho, Pang-Chieh (August 14, 2020). "Is The Jamie Foxx Superhero Movie 'Project Power' Any Good? Here's What The Reviews Say". DIGG. Archived from the original on August 16, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  5. ↑ Lang, Brent (October 16, 2017). "Netflix Wins Bidding War for 'Power,' White Hot Spec Script (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Archived from the original on September 4, 2018. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
  6. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (September 20, 2018). "Jamie Foxx & Joseph Gordon-Levitt Join Netflix's Untitled Henry Joost-Ariel Schulman Sci-Fi Feature". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on August 18, 2020. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
  7. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (September 27, 2018). "Jamie Foxx & Joseph Gordon-Levitt Netflix Sci-Fi Movie Finds Female Lead In 'The Deuce's Dominique Fishback". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
  8. ↑ N'Duka, Amanda (October 10, 2018). "Rodrigo Santoro, Amy Landecker, Colson Baker & More Join Jamie Foxx/Joseph Gordon-Levitt Netflix Film". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 16, 2020. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
  9. ↑ Neistat, Casey (November 5, 2018). "weird flex but ok". YouTube . Archived from the original on December 19, 2018. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
  10. ↑ N'Duka, Amanda (November 28, 2018). "Bree Condon To Play Kimberly Guilfoyle In Jay Roach Fox News Film; Chelsea Harris Books 'Top Gun: Maverick'". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on August 9, 2020. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  11. ↑ Schulman, Ariel (December 20, 2018). "That's a wrap on @courtneybvance . guy is cooler than a polar bears toenails". Instagram . Archived from the original on August 20, 2020. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
  12. ↑ Hersko, Tyler (July 15, 2020). "'Project Power' Trailer: Jamie Foxx, Joseph Gordon-Levitt Team for Netflix's Next Summer Tentpole". IndieWire. Archived from the original on August 19, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  13. ↑ Schulman, Ariel (December 22, 2018). "🥂 THATS A WRAP 🥂 Love to every single person that worked on this thing. coming to Netflix in a little while..." Instagram . Archived from the original on August 20, 2020. Retrieved December 24, 2018.
  14. ↑ Schulman, Ariel (October 8, 2018). "Day one cheesin. 🎬". Instagram . Archived from the original on August 20, 2020. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
  15. ↑ Scott, Mike (November 5, 2018). "Is that Joseph Gordon-Levitt wearing Steve Gleason's Saints jersey? Yep. Here's why". NOLA.com . Archived from the original on July 22, 2020. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
  16. 1 2 Levine, Daniel S. (November 1, 2018). "Joseph Gordon-Levitt Injured in On-Set Bike Crash". PopCulture.com. Archived from the original on July 17, 2020. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
  17. ↑ EW Staff. "The 25 must-watch movies of the strangest summer ever". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on July 29, 2020. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  18. ↑ Brueggemann, Tom (August 17, 2020). "Canadian Box Office Reopens as 'Unhinged' and 'SpongeBob Movie' Take the Lead". IndieWire . Archived from the original on August 20, 2020. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  19. ↑ "'The Vanished' Leads New VOD Releases, but the Top 10 Charts Agreed on Little else". August 24, 2020. Archived from the original on September 28, 2020. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  20. ↑ Brueggemann, Tom (August 31, 2020). "'Bill & Ted Face the Music' Tops Multiple VOD Charts as Chadwick Boseman Films Soar". IndieWire . Archived from the original on September 24, 2020. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  21. ↑ Low, Elaine (October 20, 2020). "'The Old Guard' Viewed By 78 Million Households in First Four Weeks, Says Netflix". Variety. Archived from the original on October 21, 2020. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  22. ↑ Bridge, Gavin (November 4, 2020). "DATA: 'BORAT 2' SECOND ONLY TO 'HAMILTON' IN MOST-WATCHED U.S. SVOD MOVIES OF 2020". Variety. Archived from the original on November 4, 2020. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  23. ↑ "Project Power (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango. Archived from the original on August 19, 2020. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  24. ↑ "Project Power Reviews". Metacritic . Archived from the original on August 20, 2020. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  25. ↑ Rooney, David (August 13, 2020). "'Project Power': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on August 16, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  26. ↑ Erbland, Kate (August 13, 2020). "'Project Power' Review: Jamie Foxx and Dominique Fishback Fight Pill-Popping Superheroes". IndieWire . Archived from the original on August 20, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  27. ↑ Pederson, Erik (March 2, 2021). "VES Awards Nominations: 'Tenet', 'Midnight Sky', 'Extraction', 'Soul' & 'Mandalorian' Among Titles In Visual Effects Hunt". Deadline. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.