After Earth
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''After Earth'' is a 2013 American
science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
post-apocalyptic Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction are genres of speculative fiction in which the Earth's (or another planet's) civilization is collapsing or has collapsed. The apocalypse event may be climatic, such as runaway climate change; astronom ...
action-
adventure film The adventure film is a broad genre of film. Some early genre studies found it no different than the Western film or argued that adventure could encompass all Hollywood genres. Commonality was found among historians Brian Taves and Ian Cameron in ...
co-produced and directed by
M. Night Shyamalan Manoj Nelliyattu M. Night Shyamalan ( ; born August 6, 1970) is an American filmmaker. His films often employ supernatural plots and twist endings. The cumulative gross of his films exceeds $3.3 billion globally. Shyamalan has received vario ...
, who co-wrote the script with
Gary Whitta Gary Leslie Whitta (born 21 July 1972) is an English-American screenwriter, author, game designer, and video game journalist. Whitta was the screenwriter of film '' The Book of Eli'' (2010), co-wrote the film ''After Earth'' (2013) with M. Night ...
. The film was loosely based on an original story idea by
Will Smith Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor, rapper, and film producer. Known for his work in both Will Smith filmography, the screen and Will Smith discography, music industries, List of awards and nominations re ...
about a father-and-son trip in the wilderness before it was eventually reworked into a sci-fi setting, taking place 1,000 years in the future where humans evacuated
Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to Planetary habitability, harbor life. This is enabled by Earth being an ocean world, the only one in the Solar System sustaining liquid surface water. Almost all ...
to another planet due to a massive environmental catastrophe. It is the second film after '' The Pursuit of Happyness'' (2006) that stars real-life father and son Will and
Jaden Smith Jaden Christopher Syre Smith (born July 8, 1998) is an American rapper and actor. The son of Jada Pinkett-Smith and Will Smith, he has received various accolades, including a Teen Choice Award, an MTV Movie Award, a BET Award and a Young A ...
; Will Smith, his wife Jada Pinkett Smith, his brother-in-law Caleeb Pinkett, and business partner
James Lassiter James Lassiter is an American film producer and talent agent. He served as the manager of American rapper and actor Will Smith before the two co-founded the production company Overbrook Entertainment in 1998. Also Smith's business partner, Lass ...
also produced the film via their company Overbrook Entertainment while
Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Columbia Pictures, is an American film Production company, production and Film distributor, distribution company that is the flagship unit of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group ...
distributed the film. The film was co-produced by John Rusk, who was also the first assistant director on this film as well as on many of Shyamalan's other films. The film follows father and son, Cypher and Kitai Raige, who find themselves crash-landing on the abandoned Earth. When Cypher gets injured from the crash, Kitai must travel across the wild environment in search of a backup beacon to fire a distress signal, while having to defend himself from the highly evolved animals, as well as an extraterrestrial creature that detects its prey by smelling fear. The film was released in
IMAX IMAX is a proprietary system of High-definition video, high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and movie theater, theaters known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio (image), aspect ratio (approximately ei ...
on May 31, 2013. Upon release, ''After Earth'' was panned by film critics, who targeted the story, visuals, performances of Will and Jaden Smith, and Shyamalan's direction. It made $243.8 million at the box office against a budget of $130 million.


Plot

In the future on a human-populated space colony, Nova Prime, the S'krell extraterrestrial race attempts to take it over with creatures called Ursas, which hunt by "sensing" fear. Ranger Corps, a global peacekeeping organization, defeats them with a fear-suppressing technique called "ghosting", but not before an Ursa kills Senshi, the daughter of their leader Cypher Raige. Blaming himself for his sister's death, Senshi's 13-year-old brother Kitai trains to become a Ranger like Cypher but is rejected. Kitai's mother Faia convinces Cypher to take Kitai on his last voyage before retirement. During flight, their spaceship is caught in an asteroid shower, causing them to crash-land on Earth, which humans had evacuated a thousand years earlier due to an environmental cataclysm. The two survive, but Cypher's legs are broken, and the main beacon for firing a distress signal is damaged. Cypher instructs Kitai to locate the tail section of the ship, which broke off on entry to the atmosphere. Inside is the backup beacon, which they can use to signal Nova Prime. Cypher gives Kitai his weaponized cutlass, a wrist communicator, and six capsules of a fluid that enhances oxygen intake so he can breathe. Kitai leaves to find the tail section, with Cypher guiding him through the communicator. Kitai confronts many hazards; bitten by a paralytic leech after fleeing from a pack of baboon-like monkeys, he self-medicates but damages two of his capsules. After awakening, Kitai takes shelter just as the thermal shift arrives, where Cypher tells him a story about how he conceived "ghosting" to kill the Ursas. Kitai reaches a cliffside waterfall, and Cypher learns about the broken capsules. Knowing that the only way to continue with two capsules would be to skydive, Cypher orders Kitai to abort the mission, but Kitai, believing that his father sees him as a disappointment, refuses to comply after blaming Cypher's absence at home for Senshi's death. Kitai is captured by a large condor, and his communicator is damaged. In her nest, Kitai fails to defend her chicks against large panthers before escaping to a river, where he drifts on a raft and a thermal shift nearly freezes him to death. The condor, who had been following him, shelters Kitai, sacrificing her life. Kitai reaches the tail section and tries to activate the emergency beacon, but the atmosphere blocks the signal. Kitai learns that the ship's Ursa has escaped and killed the rest of the crew. While he climbs up the volcano where he hopes to activate the beacon, the Ursa attacks him, but Kitai kills it using the "ghost" technique he learned from Cypher. After activating the beacon, he and Cypher are sent back to Nova Prime via a rescue team.


Cast

*
Jaden Smith Jaden Christopher Syre Smith (born July 8, 1998) is an American rapper and actor. The son of Jada Pinkett-Smith and Will Smith, he has received various accolades, including a Teen Choice Award, an MTV Movie Award, a BET Award and a Young A ...
as Kitai Raige ** Sincere L. Bobb as 3-year-old Kitai ** Jaden Martin as 9-year-old Kitai *
Will Smith Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor, rapper, and film producer. Known for his work in both Will Smith filmography, the screen and Will Smith discography, music industries, List of awards and nominations re ...
as Cypher Raige * Sophie Okonedo as Faia Raige * Zoë Kravitz as Senshi Raige * Glenn Morshower as Commander Velan * Kristofer Hivju as Security chief *
Sacha Dhawan Sacha Dhawan () (born 1 May 1984) is a British actor. He began his career in the ITV series '' Out of Sight'' (1997–1998), '' The Last Train'' (1999), and '' Weirdsister College'' (2001–2002). He originated the role of Akthar in the play '' ...
as Hesper Pilot * Chris Geere as Hesper Navigator * Diego Klattenhoff as Veteran Ranger * David Denman as Private McQuarrie * Lincoln Lewis as Bo (Running Cadet) * Shiva Prabhukumar as Training Cadet * Isabelle Fuhrman as Rayna (uncredited)


Production

Will Smith Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor, rapper, and film producer. Known for his work in both Will Smith filmography, the screen and Will Smith discography, music industries, List of awards and nominations re ...
conceived the story for the film when he was watching the television show called '' I Shouldn't Be Alive'' with his brother-in-law Caleeb Pinkett, who also served as one of the film's producers. It was originally not a science fiction story but about a father and son crashing their car in the mountains or some remote region, with the son having to go out and get rescue for his father. Smith then decided to change the setting to 1000 years in the future, which imposed a higher production budget. The film was also intended to be the first in a
trilogy A trilogy is a set of three distinct works that are connected and can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, and video games. Three-part works that are considered components of ...
. Smith had his production company Overbrook contact
Gary Whitta Gary Leslie Whitta (born 21 July 1972) is an English-American screenwriter, author, game designer, and video game journalist. Whitta was the screenwriter of film '' The Book of Eli'' (2010), co-wrote the film ''After Earth'' (2013) with M. Night ...
(who was then known for his script for '' The Book of Eli'') with a simple log line for a film: a father and son crash landed on Earth 1000 years after it had been abandoned by humankind. Impressed with his idea and excited about the opportunity to work with him, Whitta fleshed out Smith's idea and pitched it to him, subsequently becoming the first employee on the project. A month after the release of '' The Last Airbender'', Smith contacted
M. Night Shyamalan Manoj Nelliyattu M. Night Shyamalan ( ; born August 6, 1970) is an American filmmaker. His films often employ supernatural plots and twist endings. The cumulative gross of his films exceeds $3.3 billion globally. Shyamalan has received vario ...
on August 6, 2010, to wish him a "Happy Birthday" on his 40th birthday and also to persuade him to direct his film along with his son Jaden as the star. Smith and Shyamalan had planned to work on a film before but it never worked out. Impressed with the entire script, Shyamalan officially made this project—then entitled ''One Thousand A. E.''—his next directorial effort on October 20, 2010, and quietly shelved his own secret untitled project with
Bruce Willis Walter Bruce Willis (born March 19, 1955) is a retired American actor. He achieved fame with a leading role on the comedy-drama series ''Moonlighting (TV series), Moonlighting'' (1985–1989) and has appeared in over one hundred films, gaining ...
,
Bradley Cooper Bradley Charles Cooper (born January 5, 1975) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of various accolades, including a British Academy Film Award and three Grammy Awards. In addition, he has been nominated for twelve Acade ...
, and
Gwyneth Paltrow Gwyneth Kate Paltrow ( ; born September 27, 1972) is an American actress and businesswoman. The daughter of filmmaker Bruce Paltrow and actress Blythe Danner, she established herself as a leading lady appearing in mainly mid-budget and perio ...
loosely attached. There was another starring role for an adult male, but sources indicated that Smith would not be taking it on.
Sony Pictures Entertainment Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. is an American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment studio conglomerate that produces, acquires, and distributes filmed entertainment (theatrical motion pictures, television programs, and rec ...
has a first-look deal with Overbrook, so it was expected to be the studio home for ''A. E.'' Shyamalan later suggested the film would feature other members of the Smith family, and that it would not be in 3D but he had "an idea for something kind of technically interesting". In December 2011,
Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Columbia Pictures, is an American film Production company, production and Film distributor, distribution company that is the flagship unit of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group ...
, a subsidiary of Sony, signed up both Will and Jaden Smith to co-star in the film with Shyamalan directing. Shyamalan, who also co-wrote the screenplay with
Gary Whitta Gary Leslie Whitta (born 21 July 1972) is an English-American screenwriter, author, game designer, and video game journalist. Whitta was the screenwriter of film '' The Book of Eli'' (2010), co-wrote the film ''After Earth'' (2013) with M. Night ...
, also additionally co-produced the film with Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, Caleeb Pinkett, and
James Lassiter James Lassiter is an American film producer and talent agent. He served as the manager of American rapper and actor Will Smith before the two co-founded the production company Overbrook Entertainment in 1998. Also Smith's business partner, Lass ...
. Doug Belgrad, president of Columbia Pictures, made the announcement and said, "Night is an outstanding filmmaker who has a tremendous vision for this science-fiction adventure story and we couldn't be more excited to be working again with Jaden after our experiences on '' The Pursuit of Happyness'' and '' The Karate Kid''," and added "We're thrilled to have the two of them together on this project." Shyamalan also added, "The chance to make a scary, science-fiction film starring Jaden and Will is my dream project." Will Smith's decision to take on the starring adult male role required him to step aside in producing and starring in the
Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a powerful, devastating and historic tropical cyclone that caused 1,392 fatalities and damages estimated at $125 billion in late August 2005, particularly in the city of New Orleans and its surrounding area. ...
drama ''The American Can'', and offered the lead role to
Denzel Washington Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. (born December 28, 1954) is an American actor, producer, and director. Known for his dramatic roles Denzel Washington on screen and stage, on stage and screen, Washington has received List of awards and nominations ...
instead. The shooting of the movie was also pushed back from September 2011 to January 2012. On July 25, 2011, Smith travelled to
Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...
accompanied by an entourage of about 20 people, including Shyamalan, to scout for locations to shoot the film. They visited sites like the Arenal Volcano, hot springs and a lake, and some beaches. In September 2012, Columbia committed to a June 7, 2013 release date. Shyamalan also scouted locations in Philadelphia. Fifty percent of the filming was to take place at the new Sun Center Studios in Delaware County (Chester Township). Other locations would be in Costa Rica, Utah and Northern California. Shyamalan also visited
Valley Forge Military Academy Valley Forge Military Academy and College (VFMAC) is a private boarding school (grades 7–12) and military junior college in Wayne, Pennsylvania. It follows in the traditional Military academy, military school format with army traditions. T ...
, the filming location of '' Taps'', for research of the film, then entitled ''After Earth'', as Jaden Smith would be playing a military cadet of the future. The screenplay by Whitta and Shyamalan was later polished by
Stephen Gaghan Stephen Gaghan ( ; born May 6, 1965) is an American screenwriter and director. He is noted for writing the screenplay for Steven Soderbergh's film '' Traffic'', based on a Channel 4 series, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Sc ...
. Jonathan Young, a psychologist and screenwriter, polished the mythic journey structure. As reported by
Screen Rant ''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and comic books. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publications including Comic Book Resources, Collider, MovieWeb and XDA Developers. ...
in 2020, "Some scripts sidelined Will completely in favor of his son, Jaden, but Sony wanted him on the big screen as much as possible." Principal photography for ''After Earth'' began in February 2012. Much of the filming took place in
Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...
, Humboldt County and
Aston Aston is an area of inner Birmingham, in the county of the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. Located immediately to the north-west of Birmingham city centre, Central Birmingham, Aston constitutes a wards of the United Kingdom, war ...
. ''After Earth'' also became the first film from Sony to be both shot and presented in the emerging 4K digital format. It was primarily shot with
Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at Sony City in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The Sony Group encompasses various businesses, including Sony Corporation (electronics), Sony Semiconductor Solutions (i ...
's
CineAlta CineAlta cameras are a series of professional digital movie cameras produced by Sony that replicate many of the same features of 35 mm movie film, 35mm film Movie camera, motion picture cameras. Concept CineAlta is a brand name used by Sony ...
F65 camera, which was shipped in January 2012. However, a skydiving sequence required a smaller sized
Canon Cinema EOS The Canon Inc., Canon Cinema EOS (Cinema Electro-Optical System) autofocus Digital data, digital photographic and cinematographic single-lens reflex camera, SLR and mirrorless interchangeable lens camera system was introduced in late 2011 with ...
C500 4K camera mounted on the helmet of a professional skydriver. The cinematographer Peter Suschitzky who picked Sony F65 digital camera for the movie over other digital and film cameras, argued that benefits of film are lost when shown in theaters with digital projectors, as many are today. On April 19, 2013, Shyamalan then announced that the release date had been moved a week earlier to May 31, 2013 in North America and Korea, which put it against '' Now You See Me'' and '' The Purge'', scheduled to open in the United States in the same week. A few days later, the U.S. release of ''The Purge'' was rescheduled for June 7, 2013, taking over the slot vacated by ''After Earth''.


Music

On May 3, 2013, it was revealed that Korean-American singer
Jay Park Jay Park (born April 25, 1987), Korean name Park Jae-beom (), is an American rapper, singer-songwriter and dancer based in South Korea. He is a member of the Seattle-based breakdancing, b-boy crew Art of Movement (AOM), and founder and former ...
would be participating on the official soundtrack of the film in
Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...
, with a song titled "I Like 2 Party". Then on May 5, 2013, another 30-second snippet of the song was then released with another teaser and trailer. In July 2012, it was announced that James Newton Howard would score music for the film in his seventh and final collaboration with the director. An album consisting of Howard's score was released through Sony Masterworks on May 28, 2013.


Marketing


Promotional materials

The estimated worldwide marketing budget for ''After Earth'' was approximately $100 million in addition to the $130 million budget to produce the film.Brook Barnes
Will Smith and 'After Earth' Have Dismal Opening
''The New York Times'', June 2, 2013. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
Initial marketing began online with an
internet marketing The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a network of networks that consists of private, publ ...
campaign on Facebook and
Google+ Google+ (sometimes written as Google Plus, stylized as G+ or g+) was a Social networking service, social network owned and operated by Google until it ceased operations in 2019. The network was launched on June 28, 2011, in an attempt to challe ...
, including a
teaser trailer A teaser trailer, also shortened to teaser, is a short trailer (promotion), trailer and a form of teaser campaign advertising that focuses on film and television programming. It is a videography pre-release film or television show advertisement. Sh ...
. Alongside the Facebook marketing is a
Web 2.0 Web 2.0 (also known as participative (or participatory) web and social web) refers to websites that emphasize user-generated content, ease of use, participatory culture, and interoperability (i.e., compatibility with other products, systems, a ...
site that lets people scroll through different images and paragraphs in a complex dynamic way. An image of Jaden's character "Kitai" in costume was released online on February 15, 2012. Later on in the same year, another theatrical teaser was released alongside a trailer for the competing
Joseph Kosinski Joseph Kosinski (born May 3, 1974) is an American film director. He directed the films ''Tron: Legacy'' (2010), ''Oblivion (2013 film), Oblivion'' (2013), ''Only the Brave (2017 film), Only the Brave'' (2017), ''Top Gun: Maverick'' (2022), ''Sp ...
film '' Oblivion''. On March 12, a modified version of ''After Earth''s theatrical teaser was released as the official trailer. The official trailer was broadcast as a TV Spot during late May 2013. The trailer featured the menu music of the video game '' Deus Ex: Human Revolution'', composed by Michael McCann. In a stark contrast to his previous films, Shyamalan's name was notably absent from several trailers, TV commercials, and marketing signage. Instead, Sony Pictures opted to feature Will and Jaden Smith prominently in the marketing campaign. Sony's worldwide marketing and distribution chairman, Jeff Blake, said that "Night is, without a doubt, a world-class filmmaker who we were thrilled to team up with on this project," but "Together, we decided to focus our campaign on both the action and both Will and Jaden given that 'After Earth' is an adventure story of a father and son." Alex Suskind of
Moviefone Moviefone is an American-based moving pictures listing and information service. Moviegoers can obtain local showtimes, cinema information, film reviews, and advance tickets, as well as TV content and a comprehensive search tool that allows users ...
pointed out to Shyamalan that ''After Earth'' was not being marketed on the strength of his name unlike his previous projects, to which he responded, "There's such a specific expectation that comes with a name. It's nice to have people watch the movie and then have them talk about the storyteller; it's a healthy balance." On April 24, XPRIZE, Sony and Overbrook launched the XPRIZE After Earth Challenge, a robotics competition to promote the May 31 release of ''After Earth''. The film premiered on May 29 at Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City, with a wide variety of celebrities attending including
Bruce Willis Walter Bruce Willis (born March 19, 1955) is a retired American actor. He achieved fame with a leading role on the comedy-drama series ''Moonlighting (TV series), Moonlighting'' (1985–1989) and has appeared in over one hundred films, gaining ...
,
50 Cent Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and television producer. Born in Queens, a borough of New York City, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 1996. In 1999–2000, ...
,
Spike Lee Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and author. His work has continually explored race relations, issues within the black community, the role of media in contemporary ...
, and
Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Regarded as a pop icon, he is recognized for his multi-genre musical performances. He was discovered by record executive Scooter Braun in 2008 and subsequently brought to the U ...
. Canadian comedian
Russell Peters Russell Dominic Peters (born 29 September 1970) is a Canadian stand-up comedian, actor, and producer. He began performing in Toronto in 1989 and won a Gemini Award in 2008. In 2013, he was number three on ''Forbes'' Forbes Celebrity 100, list o ...
who made fun of Shyamalan when accepting the Razzie Award on his behalf for '' The Last Airbender'' also attended and even posed with Shyamalan. Sony Electronics hosted an exclusive 4K screening of ''After Earth'' at the Paramount Studios Theater on Friday May 31 during the 2013 Cine Gear Expo in Hollywood. The event was held for registered Cine Gear Expo attendees and Sony guests from 6:30–9:30 pm followed by a panel discussion with the filmmakers and production team. After guests filled the 500-plus-seat theater, a second screening was held on Saturday, June 1, 2013, in order to accommodate additional guests from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm. On June 6, the
European Space Agency The European Space Agency (ESA) is a 23-member International organization, international organization devoted to space exploration. With its headquarters in Paris and a staff of around 2,547 people globally as of 2023, ESA was founded in 1975 ...
(ESA) partnered with Sony Pictures International to support the release of the film, stating that it shares common themes in the film of concern for Earth's future and educating the next generation. ESA and Sony are holding the ''After Earth'' competition to win the opportunity to go to
Bordeaux Bordeaux ( ; ; Gascon language, Gascon ; ) is a city on the river Garonne in the Gironde Departments of France, department, southwestern France. A port city, it is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the Prefectures in F ...
, France, and have a 'space experience' in weightlessness on a 'parabolic' flight on Novespace's ZERO-G aircraft. The winner would have received paid travel expenses to and from Bordeaux and one night's accommodation for two people and would only be eligible to participate in the reduced gravity aircraft on October 25 following a medical exam.


Books

Several books were released as supplemental tie-ins for the film: ''After Earth: Innocence'' by Michael Jan Friedman and Robert Greenberger, illustrated by Benito Lobel. ''Innocence'' is a prequel comic book to ''After Earth'' released by
Del Rey Books Del Rey Books is an imprint (trade name), imprint of the Random House Group, a division of Penguin Random House. The imprint was established in 1977 under the editorship of Judy-Lynn del Rey and her husband, author Lester del Rey. Today, th ...
on November 14, 2012. ''After Earth: United Ranger Corps Survival Manual'' is an illustrated manual that describes the After Earth universe from the history of the United Ranger Corps written by Robert Greenberger. It was published through Insight Editions LLC and released on May 21, 2013. The book also follows humanity's exodus from Earth, and the ongoing battle against the Skrel. It contains the secrets of ghosting, the mastery of the cutlass, a schematic of the Ranger base, a complete guide to the highly evolved animals of Earth, and a handwritten journal entry from Cypher Raige. ''After Earth: A Perfect Beast'' ("The official prequel novel of the epic film ''After Earth''") by Michael Jan Friedman, Robert Greenberger, and Peter David is set nearly 600 years after humanity finds, and colonizes, the planet Nova Prime. The paperback book, published by Del Rey Books on April 30, 2013, is set about 300 years after the last Skrel attack and the Rangers are in danger of being disbanded. Then, the Skrel attack with a new weapon—a bioweapon. The book also contains supplemental stories set just over 400 years further into the future. Main focus is on the ''Raige'' family and their Ranger heritage. ''After Earth: Kitai's Journal'' written by Christine Peymani and illustrated by Jason A. Katzenstein is a
paperback A paperback (softcover, softback) book is one with a thick paper or paperboard cover, also known as wrappers, and often held together with adhesive, glue rather than stitch (textile arts), stitches or Staple (fastener), staples. In contrast, ...
book with black-and-white illustrations for younger readers released by
HarperCollins HarperCollins Publishers LLC is a British–American publishing company that is considered to be one of the "Big Five (publishers), Big Five" English-language publishers, along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group USA, Hachette, Macmi ...
on May 21, 2013. ''After Earth: The Official Movie Novelization'' by Peter David was released in paperback by publishing company
Del Rey Books Del Rey Books is an imprint (trade name), imprint of the Random House Group, a division of Penguin Random House. The imprint was established in 1977 under the editorship of Judy-Lynn del Rey and her husband, author Lester del Rey. Today, th ...
on May 28, 2013. The book features an expanded story of the film as well as supplemental stories.


Video game

A video game based on the film was developed by Canadian developer Behaviour Interactive and published by Reliance Games for
iOS Ios, Io or Nio (, ; ; locally Nios, Νιός) is a Greek island in the Cyclades group in the Aegean Sea. Ios is a hilly island with cliffs down to the sea on most sides. It is situated halfway between Naxos and Santorini. It is about long an ...
and Android in 2013, to coincide with the release of the film.


Reception


Box office

During its opening weekend, ''After Earth'' took in $27.5 million in box office receipts in the United States and Canada. Sony Pictures projected a launch of around $38 million, but the actual number was 17% lower than the lowest pre-release expectation of $33 million.Amy Kaufman
'Fast & Furious 6' to speed past 'After Earth' at the box office
''Los Angeles Times'', May 30, 2013. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
It finished in third place behind holdover ''
Fast & Furious 6 ''Fast & Furious 6'' (titled onscreen as ''Furious 6'') is a 2013 action film directed by Justin Lin and written by Chris Morgan. It is the sequel to ''Fast Five'' (2011) and the sixth installment in the '' Fast & Furious'' franchise. The fil ...
'', an
action film The action film is a film genre that predominantly features chase sequences, fights, shootouts, explosions, and stunt work. The specifics of what constitutes an action film has been in scholarly debate since the 1980s. While some scholars such as D ...
, and newcomer '' Now You See Me'', a caper film. Taking into account the popularity of principal actor Will Smith, the disappointing finish led ''The Wall Street Journal'' to call it a " flop".Ben Fritz
Will Smith's 'After Earth' Flops at Box Office
''The Wall Street Journal'', June 2, 2013. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
Ray Subers of
Box Office Mojo Box Office Mojo is an American website that tracks box-office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. The site was founded in 1998 by Brandon Gray, and was bought in 2008 by IMDb, which itself is owned by Amazon. History Brandon Gray ...
noted the $27 million weekend placed it between 2 sci-fi flops of
2012 films 2012 in film is an overview of events, including the highest-grossing films, award ceremonies, critics' lists of the best films of 2012, festivals, a list of country-specific lists of films released, and notable deaths. Most notably, Universa ...
with $200 million-plus budgets, ''
Battleship A battleship is a large, heavily naval armour, armored warship with a main battery consisting of large naval gun, guns, designed to serve as a capital ship. From their advent in the late 1880s, battleships were among the largest and most form ...
'' ($25.5 million) and '' John Carter'' ($30.2 million), and also drew half of the co-stars' previous openings,
Will Smith Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor, rapper, and film producer. Known for his work in both Will Smith filmography, the screen and Will Smith discography, music industries, List of awards and nominations re ...
's ''
Men in Black 3 ''Men in Black 3'' (stylized as ''MIB³'') is a 2012 American science fiction action comedy film based on the comic book series, in turn based on the conspiracy theory. It is the third installment in the ''Men in Black'' film series. Direct ...
'' ($54.6 million) and
Jaden Smith Jaden Christopher Syre Smith (born July 8, 1998) is an American rapper and actor. The son of Jada Pinkett-Smith and Will Smith, he has received various accolades, including a Teen Choice Award, an MTV Movie Award, a BET Award and a Young A ...
's '' The Karate Kid'' ($55.7 million).Ray Subers
Weekend Report: 'Fast' Falls, Magicians Make Will Smith Disappear
Box Office Mojo, June 2, 2013. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
Scott Mendelson from ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...
'' argued that Sony made a mistake of not using
M. Night Shyamalan Manoj Nelliyattu M. Night Shyamalan ( ; born August 6, 1970) is an American filmmaker. His films often employ supernatural plots and twist endings. The cumulative gross of his films exceeds $3.3 billion globally. Shyamalan has received vario ...
's name to market the film, writing, "His name on the marquee reflects that you're not going to get a conventional genre film, that there may be something else up its sleeve." Sony Pictures spokesman Steve Elzer said a weekend take of about $30 million in the United States and Canada would be a solid number for a movie that is not a branded sequel. Sony distribution chief Rory Bruer said "Certainly we would have liked to have done more, but this was always going to be a worldwide play." ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' reported Sony insiders also estimated a potential loss at about $20 million if the film does not gross high overseas, though estimates of top executives at several other rival studios are much higher. The film ended up losing on about $30 million overseas and rival top executives were then proven right.Kim Masters
Will Smith's 'After Earth' Apocalypse: Who Loses Most
''The Hollywood Reporter'', June 5, 2013. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
On ''
Jimmy Kimmel Live! ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'', sometimes shortened to ''JKL'', is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, and broadcast on ABC. The nightly hour-long show tapes and is based out of the Hollywood Masonic Temple in Hollywo ...
'', Will Smith admitted he was also disappointed with the box office performance and joked "Here's how I think about it, Jimmy, let's be honest. Three is the new one. You know how many ones it takes to make a 3?" and "It's been almost, like, in over 2 decades since I had a movie that wasn't number one! ... That's over now, buddy! Thanks!" On the worldwide release the following week, ''After Earth'' took in an estimated $45.5 million in 60 overseas markets, narrowly beating ''Fast & Furious 6'' estimates of $45.3 million for the No. 1 spot at the international box office. Including the film's launch in South Korea, ''After Earth'' made an estimated total of $48.6 million at the international box office, bringing its worldwide gross to an estimated $95,192,000. Sources for Sony Pictures International Releasing said the overall launch was bigger than debuts in the same territories of ''Oblivion'' ($45.1 million), '' The Last Airbender'' ($42.7 million) and Jaden Smith vehicle ''The Karate Kid'' ($32.3 million). Sony distribution chief Rory Bruer said that Sony was happy with the overseas opening and expects much of the film's ticket sales to come from international markets and "It definitely was the exciting start we were looking for internationally." The film's final numbers were $60.5 million in North America and $243.8 million worldwide.


Critical response

On
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
, the film has an approval rating of 12% based on 214 reviews and an average rating of 3.90/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "''After Earth'' is a dull, ploddingly paced exercise in sentimental sci-fi—and the latest setback for director M. Night Shyamalan's once-promising career." On
Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
, the film has a score of 33 out of 100 based on 41 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews. Audiences polled by
CinemaScore CinemaScore is an American market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts from the data. Background Ed Mintz, who ...
gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.
Joe Morgenstern Joe Morgenstern (born October 3, 1932) is an American writer and retired film critic. He wrote for ''Newsweek'' from 1965 to 1983, and then for ''The Wall Street Journal'' from 1995 to 2022. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism in 2005. Morge ...
, film critic for ''
The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...
'', opened his review by asking: "Is ''After Earth'' the worst movie ever made?" His answer was "Maybe not; there's always '' Battlefield Earth'' to remind us how low the bar can go."Joe Morgenstern
FILM REVIEW: Muddle-'Earth'
''The Wall Street Journal'', May 30, 2013. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
Like Morgenstern, Manohla Dargis of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' made note of the film's use of central themes in
Scientology Scientology is a set of beliefs and practices invented by the American author L. Ron Hubbard, and an associated movement. It is variously defined as a scam, a Scientology as a business, business, a cult, or a religion. Hubbard initially develo ...
before concluding the film was nothing more than a "big-screen vanity project".Manohla Dargis
MOVIE REVIEW: A Father-Son Outing Goes Terribly Wrong
''The New York Times'', May 30, 2013. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' reviewer Betsy Sharkey wondered how the elder Smith could have gone from the charismatic performance in the serious film '' The Pursuit of Happyness'', also co-starring his son, to the performance in ''After Earth''. She also saw compounding problems in the creative process leading to a lack of subtlety and nuance: "The script has no nuance, none. And when Shyamalan moves into the director's chair, the script problems are magnified."Betsy Sharkey
Review: 'After Earth' crashes on take-off
''Los Angeles Times'', May 30, 2013. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
Scott Foundas of '' Variety'' opined that the film was further proof that Shyamalan had become a "director-for-hire", with "his disinterest palpable from first frame to last".
Peter Bradshaw Peter Nicholas Bradshaw (born 19 June 1962) is a British writer and film critic. He has been chief film critic at ''The Guardian'' since 1999, and is a contributing editor at ''Esquire'' magazine. Early life and education Bradshaw was educat ...
of ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' gave the film one star out of five, calling it "another uncompromisingly terrible film ... featuring a triple-whammy of abysmal acting, directing and story" and saying that Jaden Smith "plays the role throughout with a face like a smacked bum" and "Kitai aden Smith's charactermust be like his dad: show no fear. Or any emotion. Or any acting talent of any sort." Matt Zoller Seitz of RogerEbert.com awarded the film 3.5 stars out of 4 and commented that the movie is "a moral tale disguised as a sci-fi blockbuster. It's no classic, but it's a special movie: spectacular and wise." Jim Vejvoda of
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
awarded the film a 6.7 out of 10 and commented, "M. Night Shyamalan isn't quite back in top form here, but ''After Earth'' is certainly the best movie he's made in years." Charlie Jane Anders of
io9 ''io9'' is a sub-blog of the technology blog ''Gizmodo'' that focuses on science fiction and fantasy pop culture, with former focuses on science, technology and futurism. It was created as a standalone blog in 2008 by editor Annalee Newitz under ...
commented that "Having suffered through ''Last Airbender'', I can attest that this film is no ''Last Airbender''... ''After Earth'' stays grounded, and manages to tell a pretty decent story." The
special effects Special effects (often abbreviated as F/X or simply FX) are illusions or visual tricks used in the theatre, film, television, video game, amusement park and simulator industries to simulate the fictional events in a story or virtual world. ...
received a mixed response. Rene Rodriguez of ''
The Miami Herald The ''Miami Herald'' is an American daily newspaper owned by The McClatchy Company and headquartered in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Founded in 1903, it is the fifth-largest newspaper in Florida, serving Miami-Dade, Broward, and Monroe countie ...
'' said that "the CGI creatures in the film look as fake as the monkeys in ''
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull ''Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'' is a 2008 American action adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg from a screenplay by David Koepp, based on a story by George Lucas and Jeff Nathanson. It is the fourth installm ...
''". Charlie McCollum of the ''
San Jose Mercury News ''The Mercury News'' (formerly ''San Jose Mercury News'', often locally known as ''The Merc'') is a morning daily newspaper published in San Jose, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is published by the Bay Area News Group, a subsidia ...
'' called them "surprisingly unconvincing, a step or two above the effects in those deliberately cheese ball sci-fi flicks the Syfy channel shows on Saturday night." Michael O'Sullivan of ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'' called the production design "blandly generic" and the special effects, props and costumes "cheap and slapdash-looking". However, Austin Kennedy of ''Film Geek Central'' said the special effects were "top-notch", John Depko and Susanne Perez of '' Daily Pilot'' called them "impressive", Nathan Duke of ''
Patch Media Patch Media operates Patch.com, an American local news and information platform, based in Manhattan. It is primarily owned by Hale Global. Patch is operated by Planck, LLC, doing business as Patch Media. , the Patch.com hyperlocal websites provid ...
'' said they were "impressive enough", and Peter Feldman of ''The Citizen'' described them as "solid". American astronaut
Buzz Aldrin Buzz Aldrin ( ; born Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr.; January 20, 1930) is an American former astronaut, engineer and fighter pilot. He made three extravehicular activity, spacewalks as pilot of the 1966 Gemini 12 mission, and was the Lunar Module Eag ...
said the movie is "quite action packed" and a "touching father/son story" but is not realistic because "there was a lot of noise. In space, you don't get that much noise," a quote that is highly cited in the news and labeled nitpicking or panning the film. Aldrin was impressed by the set design stating that "the scenes of the cities were really remarkable" but differed significantly from his experience on the moon, which he described as "'magnificent desolation' in contrast to the magnificent experience that humanity could move itself ahead to get to the moon."


Will Smith's response

In a 2015 interview with ''
Esquire Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentleman ...
'', Smith called ''After Earth'' "the most painful failure in his career" and expressed regret over leading his son into the film. He also unfavorably compared the experience to '' Wild Wild West'' (1999), which also underperformed expectations at the box office.


4K screening

Ryan Nakashima of
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...
was generally impressed with the film's
4K resolution 4K resolution refers to a horizontal display resolution of approximately 4,000 pixels. Digital television and digital cinematography commonly use several different 4K resolutions. In television and consumer media, 38402160 (4K UHD) with a 16:9 asp ...
picture quality, though the visual-effects shots that composed about a third of the movie were done in
2K resolution 2K resolution is a generic term for display devices or content having a horizontal resolution of approximately 2,000 pixels. In the movie projection industry, Digital Cinema Initiatives Digital Cinema Initiatives, LLC (DCI) is a consortium ...
to save on cost and time. Nakashima commented "I could see details I've never noticed before—the actors' tiny skin imperfections, or Smith's salt-and-pepper whiskers. In a distant shot of Smith's son Jaden running down a riverbed, I was struck by how many small rocks were defined clearly from such a distance. Yet other shots that included computer-generated cityscapes or otherworldly creatures looked less sharp." The cinematographer Peter Suschitzky was apologetic about that, saying "The movie is only half in true 4K. I'm sad about that. It still looks good." Scott Wilkinson of AVS was similarly impressed by the visual effects (though he did not enjoy the movie itself): "Even sitting too far away, the movie itself looked gorgeous—sharp as a tack with beautiful colors. The smallest details, such as Jaden Smith's character in the far distance, somehow looked clearer than I would have expected under normal circumstances; I got the distinct impression that the image could have been blown up by quite a bit and no detail would have been lost. The CGI animals did look a bit artificial, but that didn't bother me very much at all."


Home media

After Earth was released on
DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any ki ...
and
Blu-ray Blu-ray (Blu-ray Disc or BD) is a digital optical disc data storage format designed to supersede the DVD format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released worldwide on June 20, 2006, capable of storing several hours of high-defin ...
on October 8, 2013 alongside The Purge.


Controversies


Scientology hypothesis

Some critics were struck by what they saw as parallels in the movie's plot, dialogue and imagery with the
Scientology Scientology is a set of beliefs and practices invented by the American author L. Ron Hubbard, and an associated movement. It is variously defined as a scam, a Scientology as a business, business, a cult, or a religion. Hubbard initially develo ...
teachings of L. Ron Hubbard, particularly those in '' Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health'' and ''Dianetics: The Original Thesis''. Similarly,
Peter Travers Peter Joseph Travers (born June 27, 1943) is an American film critic, journalist, and television presenter. He reviews films for ABC News and previously served as a movie critic for ''People'' and ''Rolling Stone''. Travers also hosts the film i ...
of ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' compared the film to the "flop" '' Battlefield Earth'', describing the film as "an unholy mess of platitudes and posturing" that wastes the talents and charm of Will Smith.Peter Travers
After Earth
, ''Rolling Stone'', May 30, 2013. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
Pointing out Smith's alleged ties to Scientology, including his funding of New Village Leadership Academy, a school that uses Study Tech as its teaching method, Matt Patches of ''
Vulture A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to Nort ...
'' declared the movie probably the clearest evidence of Smith's investment in Scientology, and detailed how he saw the film paralleling its teachings. ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' published a guest-column review written by former Scientology member Marc Headley which pointed out similar parallels. David S. Touretzky, a research professor at
Carnegie Mellon Carnegie may refer to: People *Carnegie (surname), including a list of people with the name **Andrew Carnegie, Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist * Clan Carnegie, a lowland Scottish clan Institutions Named for Andrew Carnegie * ...
and a well-known expert on and critic of Scientology dismissed these perceived parallels: "I don't see any Scientology content at all in this movie." He told Rich Juzwiak of Gawker: Touretzky also addressed multiple points made by the Scientology hypothesis including the film's marketing materials prominently featuring a volcano: A parody website ''cheerupwillsmith.com'', which was created for the purpose of cheering up Will Smith with the perceived failure of ''After Earth'', gained some attention in the media. Flyers were also posted in
East Village, Manhattan The East Village is a neighborhood on the East Side (Manhattan), East Side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, New York. It is roughly defined as the area east of the Bowery and Third Avenue, between 14th Street (Manhattan), 14th Street on the ...
requesting Scientology members to see ''After Earth'' a minimum of three times and then upload a positive video for Will Smith on that website. The site has a video
mockumentary A mockumentary (a portmanteau of ''mock'' and ''documentary'') is a type of film or television show depicting fictional events, but presented as a Documentary film, documentary. Mockumentaries are often used to analyze or comment on current event ...
of two Sea Org members, along their way to see ''After Earth'', recording video praises for Will Smith from strangers and cajoling them into signing a billion-year contract with the Church of Scientology. When they delivered the signatures to a local branch of the church near
Times Square Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and Neighborhoods in New York City, neighborhood in the Midtown Manhattan section of New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway (Manhattan), ...
, a church representative told them they were impersonating the church and threatened to call the police if they do not leave. The video and the site was created by Jason Selvig and Davram Stiefler of the comedy duo The Good Liars who had previously pretended to be
Time Warner Cable Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC was an American cable television company. Before it was acquired by Charter Communications on May 18, 2016, it was ranked the second largest cable company in the United States by revenue behind only Comcast, o ...
representatives asking people how they can make service worse for customers. The Church of Scientology International branded the Scientology claims as "silly nonsense" and a myth launched by a handful of self-promoters. The church's director of public affairs, Karin Pouw, stated to ''TheImproper'' magazine that "The film and its story line contain themes common to many of the world's philosophies, not unique to Scientology." While Pouw did not dispute the similarities, she countered that overcoming fear has been a universal theme in stories for thousands of years as well central to countless film plots. She noted the same logic would seemingly make '' Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace'' a Scientology-themed movie, which includes the dialogue, "Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering." Later, domain registrar and web-hosting company Go Daddy took down ''cheerupwillsmith.com'' citing "Copyright Infringement, Trademark Infringement, and False Identity." Joe Kloc of ''The Daily Dot'' presumes the complaints came from the Church of Scientology.


Nepotism allegations

There was heavy criticism of
Jaden Smith Jaden Christopher Syre Smith (born July 8, 1998) is an American rapper and actor. The son of Jada Pinkett-Smith and Will Smith, he has received various accolades, including a Teen Choice Award, an MTV Movie Award, a BET Award and a Young A ...
's role in the film. Christopher Orr of ''
The Atlantic ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher based in Washington, D.C. It features articles on politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 185 ...
'' stated, "He is entirely lacking in the big-screen charisma that made his father one of Hollywood's major stars." Gary Wolcott of ''
Tri-City Herald The ''Tri-City Herald'' is a twice-weekly newspaper based in Kennewick, Washington, United States. Owned by The McClatchy Company, the newspaper serves southeastern Washington state, including the three cities of Kennewick, Pasco and Richland ...
'' commented that "the 15-year old Jaden doesn't appear to demonstrate much talent and has zero charisma." Alex Pappademas of Grantland referred to ''After Earth'' as a "parade-float tribute to
nepotism Nepotism is the act of granting an In-group favoritism, advantage, privilege, or position to Kinship, relatives in an occupation or field. These fields can include business, politics, academia, entertainment, sports, religion or health care. In ...
." Mikhail Lecaros of GMA calls the movie "devoid of common sense and purpose (save for nepotism)." In response to the nepotism allegations, Gary Susman of ''
Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'' magazine argued, "In Hollywood, such nepotism is no sin; in fact, it's often a selling point." David S. Cohen of '' Variety'' pointed out that "putting family members into projects is hardly new, yet it rarely inspires such vituperation." Abena Agyeman-Fisher of NewsOne.com suggested that the allegations were thinly veiled racism and an example of a
double standard A double standard is the application of different sets of principles for situations that are, in principle, the same. It is often used to describe treatment whereby one group is given more latitude than another. A double standard arises when two ...
being applied to black people. However Charlie Lyne of ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' writes that nepotism has traditionally carried a stigma.


Awards and nominations


Cancelled franchise

In March 2018, it was revealed that ''After Earth'' was intended to be the first installment of a new franchise. Pitched to the studio by Will Smith, the intention was to launch a multimedia franchise titled ''1000 AE''. Loose plans were originally for ''After Earth'' to be followed by a sequel and multiple related media, such as a live action television series, an
animated television series An animated series, or a cartoon series, is a set of Animation, animated films with a common title, usually related to one another. These episodes typically share the same main heroes, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series ...
, webisodes, mobisodes, a
video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
,
consumer products A final good or consumer good is a final product ready for sale that is used by the consumer to satisfy current wants or needs, unlike an intermediate good, which is used to produce other goods. A microwave oven or a bicycle is a final good. Whe ...
, theme-park attractions,
documentaries A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". The American author and media analyst Bill ...
,
comics a Media (communication), medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of Panel (comics), panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, Glo ...
, an
educational program An educational program is a program written by the institution or ministry of education which determines the learning progress of each subject in all the stages of formal education. See also * Philosophy of education *Curriculum In education, ...
collaboration in partnership with
NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...
,
cologne Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...
and
perfume Perfume (, ) is a mixture of fragrance, fragrant essential oils or aroma compounds (fragrances), Fixative (perfumery), fixatives and solvents, usually in liquid form, used to give the human body, animals, food, objects, and living-spaces an agre ...
lines, and a
social media Social media are interactive technologies that facilitate the Content creation, creation, information exchange, sharing and news aggregator, aggregation of Content (media), content (such as ideas, interests, and other forms of expression) amongs ...
platform. Though Smith wanted ''1000 AE'' to be an immersive experience for the audience, the movie ultimately was poorly received and lost money at the box office. All plans for a continuation were abandoned.


References


External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:After Earth 2010s adventure films 2013 science fiction action films American science fiction adventure films American science fiction action films Columbia Pictures films Films produced by Jada Pinkett Smith Films produced by Will Smith Films scored by James Newton Howard Films set in the 22nd century Films set on fictional planets Films shot in California Films shot in Costa Rica Films shot in Pennsylvania IMAX films American post-apocalyptic films Overbrook Entertainment films Films about dysfunctional families Films with screenplays by M. Night Shyamalan Films with screenplays by Will Smith Films about wormholes Scientology-related controversies in film Casting controversies in film Blinding Edge Pictures films Films about father–son relationships Golden Raspberry Award–winning films 2010s English-language films 2010s American films English-language science fiction action films English-language adventure films