Movies / Features
This Expensive Sci-Fi Film Was Supposed To Start A Franchise, But Failed Immediately
This sci-fi series with Hayden Christensen had the potential to create an exciting new universe but unfortunately never got off the ground as planned.
Hollywood studios often invest heavily in a film meant to kick off a new franchise. It frequently happens that grand plans completely derail, as the 'first' film simply fails. A good example of this is Jumper featuring Hayden Christensen and Samuel L. Jackson.
Jumper is an adaptation of Steven Gould's novel of the same name. Director Doug Liman (Edge of Tomorrow) and producer Lucas Foster had visions for a trilogy, but that never materialized.
David Rice (Hayden Christensen) has the ability to teleport anywhere he wants in an instant. He uses this power to travel the world and lives off the money he steals by "jumping" into bank vaults.
He gets captured by the sinister Roland Cox (Samuel L. Jackson), who knows how to prevent David from jumping. David escapes and is reunited with his childhood sweetheart Millie (Rachel Bilson). He then teams up with fellow jumper Griffin (Jamie Bell) to prepare for a life-or-death battle against Cox.
Before the release of Jumper, Lucas voiced the following about the future of the intended franchise: "The ideas became so expansive that they couldn't actually fit into one or two films. They had to unfold over at least three films. So we planned the storyline across three films and then divided it in a way that left room for the other two films."
Liman had all sorts of grand ideas he wanted to explore in the sequels, including showing that Jumpers could reach other planets, travel through time, and have the capability to spy.
Although Jumper certainly has a fan base, the film is generally considered a failure. It did not resonate with critics, scoring only 15% on Rotten Tomatoes. Financially, however, Jumper wasn't a massive flop. With a production budget of 85 million dollars, the film grossed 225 million worldwide. Nonetheless, the planned sci-fi franchise was cut short early on.
Jumper is an adaptation of Steven Gould's novel of the same name. Director Doug Liman (Edge of Tomorrow) and producer Lucas Foster had visions for a trilogy, but that never materialized.
Story
David Rice (Hayden Christensen) has the ability to teleport anywhere he wants in an instant. He uses this power to travel the world and lives off the money he steals by "jumping" into bank vaults.
He gets captured by the sinister Roland Cox (Samuel L. Jackson), who knows how to prevent David from jumping. David escapes and is reunited with his childhood sweetheart Millie (Rachel Bilson). He then teams up with fellow jumper Griffin (Jamie Bell) to prepare for a life-or-death battle against Cox.
Grand Plans
Before the release of Jumper, Lucas voiced the following about the future of the intended franchise: "The ideas became so expansive that they couldn't actually fit into one or two films. They had to unfold over at least three films. So we planned the storyline across three films and then divided it in a way that left room for the other two films."
Liman had all sorts of grand ideas he wanted to explore in the sequels, including showing that Jumpers could reach other planets, travel through time, and have the capability to spy.
Falling Through The Cracks
Although Jumper certainly has a fan base, the film is generally considered a failure. It did not resonate with critics, scoring only 15% on Rotten Tomatoes. Financially, however, Jumper wasn't a massive flop. With a production budget of 85 million dollars, the film grossed 225 million worldwide. Nonetheless, the planned sci-fi franchise was cut short early on.
