Ang Lee’s sci-fi film Gemini Man leaves the door open for a sequel, and if Gemini Man 2 does happen, when will be released and what will it be about? The long-gestating movie project, based on the story Darren Lemke, finally found a pairing that could get it to theaters. Acclaimed and inventive director Ang Lee helped bring the clone plot to the big screen, with Will Smith playing both the older Henry Brogan and the reference point for the completely digital younger version of Henry known as Junior.
With this setup, Gemini Man shows Henry is still at the top of his game as a sniper when he decides to retire, but quickly learns that there was more to his last mission than he knew. He’s hunted down and after fighting off the first wave of soldiers, a special operative is sent by Gemini to take Henry down - a clone of Henry who is half is age. Gemini Man proceeds to tell a story based around the numerous encounters between Henry and Junior. Through this, Henry learns what Gemini has done already, and Junior learns the truth of his manufactured life. And by the end, Gemini Man doesn’t definitively close the book on this story.
Gemini Man has notoriously been touted as a technological marvel thanks to the limits pushed by Lee with high frame rates and more - even though almost no one will be able to see the movie in its intended format. Still, the visuals and action are some of the consistent elements of the film to receive praise, while the story and execution are what many found lacking. As a result, Gemini Man has just a 29% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 39 on Metacritic. Even with this response, here’s everything we know about a potential sequel to the film.
Will Gemini Man 2 Happen?
As Gemini Man is certainly not a critical hit, the possibility of Gemini Man 2 is likely solely based on the film’s box office returns. It is projected only to earn $20 million in its opening weekend domestically, which would place it behind Joker’s second weekend and the debut of The Addams Family. With a reported budget of $138 million, Gemini Man will need strong legs and massive worldwide appeal to generate a sequel. The movie received a nearly universal rollout this weekend (including China), so the prognosis on Gemini Man’s financial potential should be determined shortly.
When Could Gemini Man 2 Be Released?
If Gemini Man does perform well enough to warrant a sequel, it should be expected that Gemini Man 2 could arrive in the next 3-4 years. Once Ang Lee and Will Smith joined the movie in April 2017, they were able to assemble a cast, go through production, and deliver the final product in around two and a half years. While some of the key cast members are already secured, most of development on Gemini Man 2 would need to be spent crafting the story. As a result, a late 2022 release date is likely the best-case scenario, and that’s assuming Lee would return to direct.
What Will Gemini Man 2’s Story Be About?
There are several threads that Gemini Man 2 could pull on to create a compelling tale. As introduced late in the film, Gemini didn’t just create one clone of Henry. Their leader Clay (Clive Owens) created a third that felt no pain or emotion, making him an elite killer and nearly perfect soldier. Junior even asks Clay how many other versions of him existed, but Clay doesn’t definitively say that he doesn’t have other clones running around, and only that there is no one else like Junior since he raised him as a son. It would be very easy for Gemini Man 2 to reveal that another version of Henry exists and is now running free, which could bring Henry and Junior back together to take him down.
MORE: Does Gemini Man Have A Post-Credits Scene?
