Wally Pfister’s directorial debut, Transcendence, has been shrouded in secrecy thus far, with the only casting news being a rumor that Johnny Depp will star, and next to nothing in terms of plot details. Well, we now have a lot more information as The Wrap has obtained a summary of Jack Paglen’s script and has posted some revealing information about the film.
Among details about the plot, producer Andrew Kosove also confirms that not only will Depp be starring, but his brain is uploaded to a computer. As one of the most versatile actors of our time, Depp has played a wide array of characters and I for one can’t wait to see him play a computer.
Depp is only one of three main characters, the other two being his wife, Evelyn, and another scientist, Max. The other two roles have yet to be filled, but it isn’t for a lack of trying. Reportedly Ewan McGregor passed on an early draft, and Tom Hardy is unavailable due to a scheduling conflict. Early reports had both Noomi Rapace and Kate Winslet rumored as Evelyn, but Kosove said neither are currently in the running for a role.
Although the summary may be out of date, and is still subject to revisions, it’s the first concrete bit of information about the plot that has been leaked. It’s also vastly different from the last bit of plot information that was released, so who knows where the plot will actually end up, but this is what we have to go off of now, so check out the summary below.
According to the summary, a group of anti-technology terrorists assassinate Will, Evelyn uploads his brain into a prototype supercomputer. Although she at first finds the experiment seems to have gone wrong, before too long Evelyn finds Will responding in computer form.
She goes on to connect Will to the Internet so he can help make further scientific breakthroughs. Will asks Evelyn to connect a microphone and a camera up to the computer so he can see and speak to her as well.
Will creates a backup of himself to every computer in the world, and furthers his work through accessing online indexes. (Kosove told TheWrap this plot point is no longer in the script.) When the anti-technology organization finds out, they try to steal the supercomputer and destroy it, but Will no longer needs the computer to survive.
That summary sounds Will and Evelyn heavy, but the three main characters are being talked about as if they have equally significant roles, so it’ll be interesting to see where Max plays into the story.
It certainly is an innovative sci-fi premise, and sounds like a very ambitious story for Pfister’s directorial debut. I have little doubt that he can handle it though, especially considering he’s been by Christopher Nolan’s side for the last 12 years.
The film is expected to begin production in February with a 2014 IMAX release planned.
What do you think of this summary for Transcendence? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.