Hensleigh's Sign is Gemini
According toVariety, Disney has roped in screenwriter Jonathan Hensleigh (Armageddon,Die Hard with a Vengeance) to "reconceive" their long-in-development sci-fi thrillerGemini Man to the tune of "a $1.75 million advance against an eventual payday of roughly $2.25 million".Gemini Man is a futuristic tale about an aging assassin being hunted by his younger clone. A-list action stars like Mel Gibson and Nicolas Cage have reportedly been considered for the lead role, which would require them to be digitally "de-aged" in order to play their younger self. A source close to the production, however,advised IGN FilmForce that "Gibson was in negotiations at one point, but Disney ... didn't want to pay for it, so negotiations fell apart". Don Murphy is producingGemini Man, which has yet to sign a director.
Hensleigh admits that he will be "preserving the kernel of the concept" but won't use any of the previous drafts for his version. "(T)he basis of my story is that I am contemporizing it – it's happening right now. ...Gemini Man, ... with its special effects elements, is simply the best action concept in Hollywood right now." Ireviewed the original script by Darren Lemke, which wassubsequently revised by the team of Stephen Rivele and Christopher Wilkinson (Ali). Having read one of those early drafts, I think Hensleigh's approach to the material isn't as bad as you might think.
–STAX
