A Game Of Thrones Co-Creator Helped Write An Ambitious Will Smith Sci-Fi Flop

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Will Smith is one of the biggest movie stars of all time. In the '90s and early 2000s, he had a nearly unmatched run, ranging from blockbusters like "Independence Day" to rom-coms like "Hitch." One might think that pairing him with one of the creators behind HBO's smash hit fantasy series "Game of Thrones" would be a slam dunk. Instead, it resulted in the 2019 box office flop "Gemini Man."

The film centers on retired hitman Henry Brogan (Smith), who is on the run and being hunted by a younger clone of himself. De-aging technology was used to make Smith into his younger self. The cast also included Benedict Wong ("Doctor Strange"), Clive Owen ("Children of Men"), and Mary Elizabeth Winstead ("10 Cloverfield Lane"). David Benioff, who was one of the key figures in adapting George R.R. Martin's "Game of Thrones" for HBO, was one of the credited screenwriters on the blockbuster.

Directed by Oscar-winner Ang Lee ("Life of Pi"), the movie arrived in 2019 and received not-so-great reviews, topping out at just $173 million at the box office against a huge $138 million budget. It was a major flop for Paramount Pictures. Adding even more insult to injury, the project had languished in development hell for over 20 years at that point, with writer Darren Lemke originally selling the pitch back in 1997.

But the project departed Lemke's hands long before it made its way to the screen; Benioff was just one of many writers to put his stamp on the material along the way. 2019 proved to be a rough year for him, as it was the same year that the much-maligned final season of "Game of Thrones" aired. Several months later, his name was attached to what would become one of the year's biggest cinematic misfires.

Lemke originally wrote several drafts of "Gemini Man" before moving on. It changed hands many, many times over the years, with everyone from Nicolas Cage to Mel Gibson attached at various points. Joe Carnahan ("The Grey") was set to direct a version starring Clint Eastwood in the early 2010s. Directors came and went. Writers came and went. Different producers tried to set it up at different studios. It never seemed to work out.

Benioff came on board around 2007 and was paid a handsome fee of $2 million for his services, per CHUD.com. The final version of the film that Lee directed was credited to Lemke, Benioff, and Billy Ray, who had written hits like "The Hunger Games" and "Captain Phillips." However, the version that exists had pretty much nothing to do with Lemke, as he wasn't involved in the production whatsoever, with the script changing dramatically along the way.

"Every now then, I'd read in the trades that 'Gemini' is still alive. But it was hard to keep that torch lit," Lemke said in a 2019 interview with The Hollywood Reporter. When Lee was announced as the new director of "Gemini Man" in 2017, Lemke was still skeptical. The writer added:

"I had heard variations of this 20 times before. I was calloused. I had been down that path so many times before, but it was the first time I was hopeful. It was exciting to see that people were still interested in it."

What Lemke saw on screen was largely a combination of Benioff and Ray's work, rather than his own. Because there were so many cooks in the kitchen, it'd be tough to place the movie's failure on any of their shoulders.

For Benioff, it's just one example of the interesting screenwriting career he's had. Prior to breaking out as a big-name on "Game of Thrones," partnering with D.B. Weiss, his very first screenwriting credit came when he penned "The 25th Hour," based on his own novel of the same name, for Oscar-winning director Spike Lee.

That paved the way for other high-profile gigs, including Brad Pitt's massive historical epic "Troy" in 2004. Benioff additionally penned the oft-forgotten Marc Forster thriller "Stay" in 2005, which starred Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts. He also wrote the adaptation of the novel "The Kite Runner," which went on to find acclaim.

After that, things got a little rocky when he found himself writing director Gavin Hood's ill-fated prequel "X-Men Origins: Wolverine." It remains one of the more maligned superhero movies ever made, but much like "Gemini Man," it would be hard to place its failure at Benioff's feet. He then wrote the war drama "Brothers" before landing the gig on "GoT," which redefined his career in Hollywood.

Benioff hasn't written a movie since, instead focusing on TV. Even after the rough final season of "Game of Thrones," he and Weiss signed a huge deal with Netflix, with the duo creating the sci-fi series "3 Body Problem" for the streamer.

You can grab "Gemini Man" on 4K, Blu-ray, or DVD from Amazon.