Superintelligence (film)

Last updated

Superintelligence
Superintelligence poster.jpeg
Original release poster
Directed by Ben Falcone
Written bySteve Mallory
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Barry Peterson
Edited byTia Nolan
Music byFil Eisler
Production
companies
Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date
  • November 26, 2020 (2020-11-26)
Running time
106 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$4.2 million [1] [2]

Superintelligence is a 2020 American romantic action comedy film directed by Ben Falcone and written by Steve Mallory. The film stars Melissa McCarthy in her fourth collaboration with her husband, Falcone.

Contents

Superintelligence was released by Warner Bros. Pictures digitally in the United States via HBO Max, and theatrically in some international markets, on November 26, 2020. The film has grossed $4 million and received mixed reviews from critics, who called the film "forgettable", although McCarthy's performance was praised.

The film was removed from HBO Max in July 2022. [3]

Plot

Eight years ago, Carol Peters left her executive job at Yahoo in order to lead a more altruistic life. Unsatisfied with the current job market in Seattle, she now lives day to day, doing non-profit work to advocate for the environment, care for animals and make the world a better place.

A friend and former colleague, Dennis, talks her into interviewing for a modern dating website. An interviewer labels her “the most average person on Earth,” which is heard by an autonomous artificial intelligence or A.I.

The next morning, while at her apartment, an all-seeing, all-knowing voice starts communicating with her through her TV, cell phone and rice maker. The A.I. takes on the voice of James Corden, as he is her favorite celebrity, to soothe her when she freaks out.

The supercomputer has become sentient and now is trying to decide whether to save, enslave or obliterate humanity and start over. Carol, as his test subject, is the planet's only hope. The A.I. wants to study Carol and her interactions as a way to learn about humanity.

Telling Carol he'll be watching her over three days to decide, the A.I. erases her student debt and deposits 10 million dollars into her bank account. Suggesting she confide in Dennis, she goes to his work and A.I. debriefs him.

A.I. convinces Carol to get back with her ex-boyfriend, George, thinking observing their reconciliation would be the ideal way to prove humans are capable of love and redemption. He presents her with a self-driving Tesla, which he operates to a high-end clothing designer to revamp her look.

Arriving to George's, NSA agents abduct Carol, tipped off by Dennis. In their interrogation, she tells them the A.I.'s goal. Then he announces he's taking her out, threatening their annihilation if they try to stop her.

A.I. organizes a meet cute for Carol and George. Initially ineffective, she tries again, inviting him to dinner. In the meantime, Dennis meets with the U.S. President, convincing her and the world to shut down all communication means, hoping to corner A.I.

Although George will be leaving the country in a few days, he and Carol bond in that time. The A.I. steers them to the Mexican restaurant where they had their first date. They reconcile, spending the night together.

They spend the whole next day together doing things George loves, including meeting his personal hero at a Mariners game. Carol steps away from him, getting accosted by the NSA again. She's told about their grand plan of trapping A.I. in Seattle, and they swear her to secrecy. Although she's had an amazing day with George, Carol opts not to stay the night, believing if she did so, it would be too hard to let him go.

As Carol leaves, A.I. hounds her to explain herself, but she blocks him out. The next morning, she's told she has not dissuaded him, and the Earth is now on a 5-hour countdown to destruction. However, she selflessly chooses to turn down the NSA's offer to protect her with them in an underground bunker and helps George finish packing for his Ireland fellowship.

Through her selfless actions, Carol ends up changing A.I.'s mind and he cancels Armageddon.

Cast

Production

In July 2017, it was reported that New Line Cinema had purchased the screenplay by Steve Mallory, with Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone on board the project to produce through their On the Day Productions banner. [4] [5] In April 2018, it was announced that McCarthy would star in the film and Falcone would direct it, marking their fourth actor-director collaboration. [6] [7] In June 2018, James Corden joined the cast, to voice the titular "Super Intelligence". [8] In July 2018, Bobby Cannavale, Brian Tyree Henry, and Sam Richardson joined the cast. [9] [10] [11]

The film started principal production right after McCarthy wrapped filming The Kitchen , on July 16, 2018, [6] and wrapped on August 31, 2018. [12] Some scenes were filmed at Georgia Tech. [13] [14] The restaurant scene was filmed at Landmark Diner in downtown Atlanta and the outdoor scenes were filmed on Broad Street, as evidenced by Dua Vietnamese Restaurant and Reuben's Deli.

Release

The film was digitally released on HBO Max on November 26, 2020. [15] The film was initially scheduled for theatrical release on December 25, 2019, but was later moved up five days, prior to WarnerMedia deciding in October 2019 to shift the film to a streaming release; Falcone said at that time that he agreed it would be better suited to a streaming platform. [16] [17] [18]

The film grossed $745,000 from five countries in its opening weekend. [19]

Critical reception

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 31% based on 67 reviews, with an average rating of 4.6/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "You won't need Superintelligence to steer clear of the latest forgettable comedy to fail to take full advantage of Melissa McCarthy's talents." [20] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 41 out of 100, based on 17 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [21]

David Ehrlich of IndieWire called it one of the year's worst films, and "a lifeless, laugh-free slab of nothing like Superintelligence, which starts with “what if Skynet, but with jokes?” and then just gasps for air for the next 105 minutes." [22] Caryn James of The Hollywood Reporter wrote: "The cast, though, is full of extraordinary actors, who do what they can to redeem a lame script and style." [23]

Accolades

AwardCategoryRecipientResult
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards Favorite Movie Actress Melissa McCarthy Nominated

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melissa McCarthy</span> American actress (born 1970)

Melissa Ann McCarthy is an American actress, screenwriter, producer, and fashion designer. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including two Primetime Emmy Awards, and nominations for two Academy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards. McCarthy was named by Time as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2016, and she has been featured multiple times in annual rankings of the highest-paid actresses in the world. In 2020, The New York Times ranked her #22 in its list of the 25 Greatest Actors of the 21st Century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wendi McLendon-Covey</span> American actress and comedian

Wendi McLendon-Covey is an American actress known primarily for her work in comedic and improvisational roles. From 2013 until 2023, she played the role of family matriarch Beverly Goldberg on the ABC comedy series The Goldbergs, for which she was nominated for two Critics' Choice Television Awards for Best Actress in a Comedy Series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Falcone</span> American actor, comedian, screenwriter and producer

Benjamin Scott Falcone is an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. He is married to actress Melissa McCarthy, with whom he frequently collaborates. Falcone made his directorial debut in 2014 with Tammy, which he co-wrote with McCarthy, and he also directed, co-wrote, and produced The Boss, Life of the Party, Superintelligence, and Thunder Force, all of which starred McCarthy. In 2022, Falcone starred in Netflix series God's Favorite Idiot, which he created.

Sarah Baker is an American actress and comedian, best known for roles in movies such as The Campaign and Mascots, and TV shows like The Kominsky Method and Louie.

<i>Tammy</i> (film) 2014 American film by Ben Falcone

Tammy is a 2014 American road comedy film directed and co-written by Ben Falcone and produced, co-written by, and starring Melissa McCarthy as the title character. The film also stars Susan Sarandon, Allison Janney, Gary Cole, Mark Duplass, Nat Faxon, Toni Collette, Sandra Oh, with Dan Aykroyd, and Kathy Bates. The film tells the story of a woman named Tammy who hits the road with her profane, alcoholic grandmother after finding out her husband is cheating. Tammy was released in theaters on July 2, 2014.

<i>The Boss</i> (2016 film) 2016 American film

The Boss is a 2016 American comedy film directed by Ben Falcone and written by Falcone, Melissa McCarthy and Steve Mallory. The film stars McCarthy, Kristen Bell, Ella Anderson, Tyler Labine, Kathy Bates, Annie Mumolo, Timothy Simons, and Peter Dinklage.

Kimberly Pita Quinn is an American actress, writer and film producer. She made her film debut playing a leading role and co-writing in the 1999 independent drama film Winding Roads. Quinn later produced and played supporting roles in a number of films, include St. Vincent (2014), Hidden Figures (2016), and The Starling (2020). She is married to director Theodore Melfi, together they own production company Goldenlight Films.

Bron Studios is a Canadian motion picture company based in British Columbia owned by Bron Media Corporation. Bron's notable productions include Joker, Bombshell, Queen & Slim, Greyhound, Judas and the Black Messiah,The Mule, Henchmen, Roman J. Israel, Esq.,Rudderless, Welcome to Me, The Addams Family,TheWilloughbys, and Ghostbusters: Afterlife.

<i>Spy</i> (2015 film) 2015 film by Paul Feig

Spy is a 2015 American spy action comedy film written and directed by Paul Feig. It stars Melissa McCarthy, Jason Statham, Rose Byrne, and Jude Law, with Miranda Hart, Bobby Cannavale, Nargis Fakhri and Allison Janney appearing in supporting roles. The film follows unorthodox secret agent Susan Cooper (McCarthy) as she tries to trace a stolen portable nuclear device.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DC Extended Universe</span> Shared fictional universe

The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by DC Studios and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is based on characters that appear in American comic books published by DC Comics. The DCEU also includes comic books, short films, novels, and video games. Like the original DC Universe in comic books, the DCEU is established by crossing over common plot elements, settings, cast, and characters.

<i>Can You Ever Forgive Me?</i> 2018 film directed by Marielle Heller

Can You Ever Forgive Me? is a 2018 American biographical film directed by Marielle Heller, with a screenplay by Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty based on the 2008 confessional memoir of the same name by Lee Israel. Melissa McCarthy stars as Israel, and the story follows her attempts to revitalize her failing writing career by forging letters from deceased authors and playwrights. The film also features Richard E. Grant, Dolly Wells, Jane Curtin, Anna Deavere Smith, Stephen Spinella, and Ben Falcone in supporting roles. Israel took the title from an apologetic line in a letter in which she posed as Dorothy Parker.

<i>Life of the Party</i> (2018 film) 2018 film by Ben Falcone

Life of the Party is a 2018 American comedy film directed by Ben Falcone and written by Falcone and Melissa McCarthy. The film, starring McCarthy and Molly Gordon, follows a newly divorced mother who returns to college to complete her degree, and ends up bonding with her daughter's friends.

Carpool Karaoke is a recurring segment on The Late Late Show with James Corden, in which host James Corden invites famous musical guests to sing along to their songs with him whilst traveling in a car driven by Corden on a planned route usually in Los Angeles, usually under the pretense of needing to get to work and preferring to use the high-occupancy carpool vehicle lane, or the pretext of needing directions from a local when in a new town, such as London, Liverpool, New York City or Las Vegas.

<i>The Kitchen</i> (2019 film) Film by Andrea Berloff

The Kitchen is a 2019 American crime film written and directed by Andrea Berloff in her directorial debut. It is based on the DC/Vertigo Comics limited series of the same name by Ollie Masters and Ming Doyle. The film stars Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish, and Elisabeth Moss as the wives of Irish American mobsters who take over organized crime operations in New York's Hell's Kitchen in the late 1970s, after the FBI arrests their husbands. The film also features Domhnall Gleeson, James Badge Dale, Brian d'Arcy James, Jeremy Bobb, Margo Martindale, Common, and Bill Camp in supporting roles.

The Flight Attendant is an American dark comedy drama mystery thriller television series developed by Steve Yockey based on the 2018 novel of the same name by Chris Bohjalian. It stars Kaley Cuoco in the title role and premiered on HBO Max on November 26, 2020. In December 2020, the series was renewed for a second season, which premiered on April 21, 2022. In January 2024, the series was canceled after two seasons.

<i>An American Pickle</i> 2020 film directed by Brandon Trost

An American Pickle is a 2020 American comedy-drama film directed by Brandon Trost and written by Simon Rich, based on his 2013 short story "Sell Out". The film stars Seth Rogen as an Eastern European Jewish immigrant who gets preserved in a vat of pickles and wakes up a century later in modern-day New York City, attempting to fit in with the assistance of his last remaining descendant.

<i>Thunder Force</i> (film) American superhero comedy film

Thunder Force is a 2021 American superhero comedy film written and directed by Ben Falcone, and starring Melissa McCarthy, Octavia Spencer, Bobby Cannavale, Pom Klementieff, Taylor Mosby, with Melissa Leo, and Jason Bateman. It is the fifth collaboration between McCarthy and her husband Falcone, and follows two childhood friends who invent a way to become superheroes in a world where criminals have developed superpowers.

<i>Nine Perfect Strangers</i> (TV series) 2021 American drama television series

Nine Perfect Strangers is an American drama television series based on the 2018 novel of the same name by Liane Moriarty. Created by David E. Kelley who also developed the series alongside John-Henry Butterworth, the series premiered on August 18, 2021, on Hulu.

God's Favorite Idiot is an American religious apocalyptic workplace comedy television series created by and starring Ben Falcone for Netflix. The series was supposed to consist of sixteen episodes, and the first batch of eight episodes premiered on June 15, 2022. As of April 2022, the production of the remaining eight episodes is in limbo.

References

  1. ↑ "Superintelligence (2020) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Archived from the original on July 23, 2019. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  2. ↑ "Superintelligence (2020)". Box Office Mojo . Archived from the original on December 27, 2020. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
  3. ↑ Spangler, Todd (August 3, 2022). "HBO Max Quietly Removed Six Warner Bros. Streaming-Exclusive Movies". Variety . Retrieved August 3, 2022.
  4. ↑ Ford, Rebecca (August 25, 2017). "Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone Reteam With Steve Mallory for 'Super-Intelligence' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 19, 2018. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
  5. ↑ Kroll, Justin (July 25, 2017). "Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone to Produce Pitch From 'The Boss' Co-Writer". Archived from the original on June 20, 2018. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  6. 1 2 Kit, Borys (April 10, 2018). "Melissa McCarthy, Ben Falcone Tackling Action Comedy 'Super-Intelligence' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 19, 2018. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
  7. ↑ Douglas, Edward (April 10, 2018). "Ben Falcone Directing Wife Melissa McCarthy in Action-Comedy "Super-Intelligence" for New Line". Archived from the original on July 24, 2019. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  8. ↑ Kroll, Justin (June 13, 2018). "James Corden to Voice Title Character in Melissa McCarthy's 'Super Intelligence' (EXCLUSIVE)". Archived from the original on June 13, 2018. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
  9. ↑ Sneider, Jeff (July 10, 2018). "Exclusive: 'Ant-Man's' Bobby Cannavale Joins Melissa McCarthy in 'Superintelligence'". Collider . Archived from the original on January 9, 2020. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  10. ↑ Sneider, Jeff (July 19, 2018). "Exclusive: 'Atlanta' Star Brian Tyree Henry to Join Melissa McCarthy in 'Superintelligence'". Collider . Archived from the original on January 9, 2020. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  11. ↑ Galuppo, Mia (August 24, 2018). "Sam Richardson Joins Melissa McCarthy in 'Superintelligence' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 25, 2018. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
  12. ↑ Falcone, Ben [@benfalcone] (September 1, 2018). "That's a wrap. Thanks so much to the crew and cast for "Superintelligence." Much love to all!" (Tweet). Archived from the original on December 27, 2020. Retrieved October 1, 2019– via Twitter.
  13. ↑ Tubb, Raymond (July 4, 2018). "New Melissa McCarthy movie needs a ton of extras!". 11Alive.com. Archived from the original on December 27, 2020. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  14. ↑ Superintelligence, archived from the original on December 27, 2020, retrieved June 2, 2020
  15. ↑ Warner, Kara (October 21, 2020). "First Look! Melissa McCarthy Says Her New HBO Max Movie Superintelligence Feels So Relevant". People Magazine . Archived from the original on October 22, 2020. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
  16. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (March 22, 2019). "Warner Bros. Release Date Changes: 'The Goldfinch' Goes Earlier In Fall, 'Superintelligence' Shifts & Ben Affleck Drama Dated". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on March 22, 2019. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  17. ↑ N'Duka, Amanda (April 20, 2018). "Warner Bros Dates Melissa McCarthy Comedy 'Superintelligence' & Michael B. Jordan's 'Just Mercy'". Deadline. Archived from the original on March 30, 2019. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
  18. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (October 17, 2019). "Melissa McCarthy & Director Ben Falcone On Choosing HBO Max Bow Instead Of WB Xmas Release For 'Superintelligence'". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on October 17, 2019. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
  19. ↑ Tartaglione, Nancy (November 29, 2020). "'The Croods: A New Age' Dawns With $21M Offshore; 'Tenet' Tops $300M; 'Demon Slayer' Still Rising In Japan – International Box Office". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on December 27, 2020. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
  20. ↑ "Superintelligence (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango. Archived from the original on December 27, 2020. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  21. ↑ "Superintelligence Reviews". Metacritic . Archived from the original on December 27, 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  22. ↑ Ehrlich, David (November 25, 2020). "'Superintelligence' Review: Melissa McCarthy Is Terrorized by A.I. James Corden in One of the Year's Worst". IndieWire . Archived from the original on December 27, 2020. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
  23. ↑ Caryn James (November 25, 2020). "'Superintelligence': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on December 27, 2020. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
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.