Jumper (2008 film)

Jumper is a 2008 American science fiction action film directed by Doug Liman. It was written by David S. Goyer, Jim Uhls, and Simon Kinberg, and is loosely based on a 1992 novel by Steven Gould. The story follows a young man played by Hayden Christensen who discovers he can teleport instantly. As he learns to use this amazing power, he finds himself being chased by a secret group that wants to stop him.

The film also features many well-known actors, including Jamie Bell, Rachel Bilson, Max Thieriot, AnnaSophia Robb, Diane Lane, Michael Rooker, and Samuel L. Jackson. Making the movie took place in 20 cities across 14 different countries between 2007 and 2008. It was released on February 14, 2008, and went on to earn $225 million around the world. However, many critics did not enjoy the film as much, saying it changed too much from the original book and had a rushed story with an ending that did not feel satisfying.

Plot

After falling into the Huron River, 15-year-old David Rice discovers that he can teleport, or "jump". He leaves his difficult home life and moves to New York City, where he uses his power to take things from banks.

Years later, David lives a fancy but troubled life. He meets Roland, the leader of the Paladins, a group that thinks people like David are dangerous. Roland has special tools to stop jumpers, but David escapes and returns to his hometown of Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he meets up with an old friend, Millie.

David and Millie travel to Rome, but are stopped by guards at the Colosseum. David teleports inside, where he is helped by another jumper named Griffin. Griffin warns David about the Paladins and takes him to a safe place.

David learns that his mother, Mary, who left when he was little, is part of the Paladins. She helps him escape and he decides to work with Griffin to stop Roland and protect Millie.

A big fight happens at Griffin's hideout, and the Paladins capture Millie. David and Griffin fight, and David rescues Millie. He faces Roland and decides not to hurt him, leaving him in the Grand Canyon with a warning. David says goodbye to his mother and jumps away with Millie.

Cast

The film features many talented actors. Hayden Christensen plays David Rice, a young man who can teleport. Rachel Bilson stars as Millie Harris, David's love interest. Samuel L. Jackson acts as Roland Cox, the leader of a special group called the Paladins. Jamie Bell portrays Griffin O'Connor, a jumper who does things his own way. Other actors include Diane Lane as David's mother, Michael Rooker as David's father, and Kristen Stewart as David's younger sister.

Production

Script and storyboards

In November 2005, the company New Regency Productions chose director Doug Liman to lead the movie version of the science fiction novel Jumper by Steven Gould. Screenwriter Jim Uhls helped rewrite the story, and Simon Kinberg also worked on the script. Liman said the movie was based on Gould’s story but changed for the screen. Before filming, the studio planned to make more movies using the same idea from the novel.

Unlike most movies that use one artist to plan scenes, Jumper needed six artists, each working on a different action scene. They had to think carefully about how the characters could teleport and fight using this special power.

Casting

In April 2006, actors Tom Sturridge, Teresa Palmer, and Jamie Bell were chosen for Jumper, with Sturridge in the main role. Later, Samuel L. Jackson joined as Roland Cox. But in August, Hayden Christensen took over the lead role because the studio wanted an older actor to make the love story more interesting for adult viewers. Rachel Bilson replaced Teresa Palmer after Christensen joined the cast.

Filming

Filming began in October 2006 in Toronto and later moved to Rome, where the team filmed at the Colosseum. They used natural light and special cameras to capture scenes quickly. After Rome, filming continued in Toronto, Tokyo, and Ann Arbor, Michigan. Students from Huron High School acted as extras. The movie was filmed in 20 cities across 14 countries.

Visual effects

The visual effects company Weta Digital helped create scenes for the movie, working on 300 of the 600 shots. They used special software to show the characters teleporting to different places, like Big Ben and the Sphinx. Other companies also helped with the visual effects.

Release

Jumper came out on February 14, 2008, thanks to 20th Century Fox.

Reception

The film Jumper received mixed reviews. On the website Rotten Tomatoes, only 15% of critics liked it, giving it an average rating of 4 out of 10. Another website, Metacritic, gave it a score of 35 out of 100, which means most critics did not enjoy it.

Some people thought the action scenes were exciting, but others felt the story and characters were not very interesting. The movie did well at the box office, especially in international markets. It made over $221 million worldwide in 2008.

Soundtrack

The music for the film was released on February 19, 2008, after the movie came out in theaters. All the songs were created by John Powell. This was the third time Powell worked with the film's director, Doug Liman, after they worked together on The Bourne Identity and Mr. & Mrs. Smith. The music was led by Brett Weymark and played by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

Home media

The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc in North America on June 10, 2008 and internationally on June 16. Special features include a commentary, deleted scenes, an animated graphic novel, featurettes, and a digital copy for watching on portable devices.

Video game

A video game called Jumper: Griffin's Story was made for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, and Wii consoles. The story follows the character Griffin as he tries to solve a mystery about his parents. The game came out on February 12, 2008, two days before the movie was shown in theaters.

Novel tie-ins

Steven Gould, the author of the original Jumper book, also wrote Jumper: Griffin's Story to go with the film. This book tells more about Griffin’s early life. A graphic novel called Jumper: Jumpscars was also released, sharing extra stories connected to the movie.

Potential sequel

Author Steven Gould wrote a second book in the Jumper series called Reflex, which came out in 2004. By 2014, two more books in the series had also been published.

Before the movie came out in 2008, Hayden Christensen talked about the chance of making more movies. He said the story was set up to let the characters grow in future films. Another person involved, Lucas Foster, said the story was so big it needed at least three movies to tell fully.

After the movie was released, director Doug Liman shared some ideas for a sequel. He thought Jumpers might be able to travel to other planets, move through time, and even spy on others. He also mentioned that the character played by Rachel Bilson might learn to jump, just like in the book Reflex. But as of 2026^[update], there have been no new updates about making a sequel.

Television series

See also: Impulse (TV series)

A spin-off television series from the film, titled Impulse, was released on YouTube Premium on June 6, 2018.