Jupiter Ascending (2015 film)

History of the film

Jupiter Ascending is a 2015 American–Australian space opera film written, produced, and directed by Lana and Andy Wachowski. Starring Mila Kunis, Channing Tatum, Sean Bean and Eddie Redmayne, the film is centered on Jupiter Jones (Kunis), an ordinary cleaning woman, and Caine Wise (Tatum), an interplanetary warrior who informs Jones that her destiny extends beyond Earth.

Supporting cast member Douglas Booth has described the film's fictional universe as a cross between The Matrix and Star Wars, while Kunis named indulgence and consumerism as its underlying themes.

The film was co-produced by Grant Hill, who acted as executive producer on The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions and as producer on V for Vendetta, Speed Racer, Ninja Assassin and Cloud Atlas, making Jupiter Ascending his seventh collaboration with the Wachowskis.

Several more longstanding Wachowski collaborators since the creation of The Matrix films have contributed to the picture, including production designer Hugh Bateup, visual effects supervisor Dan Glass, visual effects designer John Gaeta, supervising sound editor Dane Davis and costume designer Kym Barrett. Other notable past collaborators include Speed Racer's composer Michael Giacchino, Cloud Atlas director of photography John Toll along with its editor Alexander Berner and hair and make-up designer Jeremy Woodhead, who worked on both.

Although critics praised the visuals, world-building, Michael Giacchino's musical score, and originality, the general attitude toward the film was negative, with most criticism focused on incoherence in the screenplay and an over-reliance on special effects.

Despite this, the film has found a more positive response, particularly among a niche of female science fiction fans who appreciate the film's campiness, and that the film deviates from typical gender norms in a genre that is traditionally male-centric.