Ang Lee’s film too technologically advanced for Taiwan screening

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 06: Ang Lee attends Paramount Pictures’ Premiere Of “Gemini Man” on October 06, 2019 in Hollywood, California. Frazer Harrison/Getty Images/AFP

TAIPEI — Taiwan-born movie director Ang Lee’s new film “Gemini Man” has been made in such a technologically advanced way that no theater in Taiwan can play it in the form that the Oscar- winning director originally intended.

Normally, movies are shot at 24 frames per second (fps), but the two-time Oscar winner shot his latest work at 120 fps, giving the film extremely sharp and ultra-realistic visuals.

However, only one theater in the U.S. has been able to use the full specifications to screen the Will Smith-starring film — the TCL Chinese Theater in Los Angeles — when it held the film’s world premiere Oct. 6.

Lee’s previous film, “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk” in 2016, was shot in 3D with 4K resolution at 120 fps.

Back then, only five theaters globally were equipped to show it at its highest resolution and maximum frame rate, one of which was Vieshow Cinema in Taipei’s Q Square.

With “Gemini Man” ready to make its Taiwanese premiere in Taipei Oct. 23, however, a Vieshow Cinema spokesperson told CNA that the cinema no longer has the same equipment it used three years ago to screen “Billy Lynn,” meaning Lee’s latest movie will not be able to be shown locally in the director’s intended high definition.

The film will instead be shown in four different formats: 2D/24 fps; 3D+/60 fps; IMAX 2D/24 fps; and IMAX 3D/60 fps.

“Gemini Man” tells the story of a middle-aged assassin, played by Smith, being pursued by a younger assassin, who he discovers is quite literally a younger version of himself.

The film uses motion capture technology that allows Smith’s performance as his younger self to be transferred into a completely digitally rendered character.

Lee and Smith, as well as producers Jerry Bruckheimer and David Ellison, are scheduled to visit Taiwan for a three-day promotional tour Oct. 20-22.