Jumper is a
2008 science fiction film from
20th Century Fox and
New Regency Productions. It is loosely based on the
1992 science fiction novel of the same name by
Steven Gould. Jumping is the same as Jaunting, which was first introduced in the
1956 science fiction novel, "
The Stars My Destination" by
Alfred Bester. The film is directed by
Doug Liman, director of
The Bourne Identity and
Mr. & Mrs. Smith, and stars
Hayden Christensen,
Samuel L. Jackson,
Rachel Bilson,
Jamie Bell,
Max Thieriot,
AnnaSophia Robb, and
Diane Lane. The film follows a person capable of
teleporting to any location as he is chased by a secret group intent on killing him.
The script went through a rewrite prior to filming and the roles for the main characters were changed during production.
Jumper was filmed in 20 cities in 14 countries between 2006 and 2007. The film was released on February 14, 2008 and a soundtrack was released on February 19. The film held the first position in its opening weekend with $27.3 million, despite mostly negative reviews. Review aggregator
Rotten Tomatoes recorded a 16% approval rating and 35/100 on
Metacritic. Several novels were developed as tie-ins to the film along with a video game for the
Xbox 360,
PlayStation 2, and
Wii consoles, named
Jumper: Griffin's Story. The DVD was released on June 10, 2008, and both Christensen and Liman have spoken of one or more sequels.
Plot
David Rice, a 15-year-old student in
Ann Arbor, Michigan, discovers he has the ability to "jump",
teleporting to any location he has seen after falling into a frozen river. He decides to leave his
alcoholic father, his mother having left him when he was five, and goes to New York City, using his powers to rob a bank for funds. Eight years later, David lives a luxurious life from his
penthouse apartment, its walls covered with pictures of places around the world which he "jumps" to on a daily basis. However, a lead from the bank robbery has finally led a man named Roland Cox to David, who knows of his ability and has the technology to disable him -
electrified restraints. However, as Roland believes someone is protecting David, he hesitates in killing him long enough for David to escape. Roland tells his associates to be prepared at the various sites that David has on his walls.
