Next (2007)

Cris Johnson is a small-time magician working in a rundown Las Vegas club under the name Frank Cadillac. He has a limited gift: he can see the next two minutes, but only when the events affect him alone. He uses it to win modest sums at casinos without drawing attention, until a vision about a stranger pushes him to change course. Meanwhile, FBI agent Callie Ferris is hunting a stolen nuclear weapon and suspects Cris may be able to help. Known in Latin America as El vidente, the film mixes chase sequences and suspense with a romantic thread.

How it was made

The film loosely adapts Philip K. Dick's 1954 short story The Golden Man, also published as The God Who Runs. Gary Goldman and Jason Koornick optioned the story, and Goldman pitched a treatment to Nicolas Cage's company, Saturn Films, before writing the screenplay on spec. The first draft stayed closer to the source, centering on a mutant hunted by a government agency. To create more interaction and a leading role, Cris became a socially isolated man rather than a feral creature, a romantic subplot was added, and the agency was depicted as ruthless. Lee Tamahori directed, with music by Mark Isham and cinematography by David Tattersall.

Reception and legacy

The film was released in the United States on April 27, 2007, by Paramount Pictures. With a production budget of $78.1 million, it grossed about $77.6 million worldwide, and it is generally regarded as a box office flop. It was the first Revolution Studios film distributed by Paramount, followed in 2017 by XXX: Return of Xander Cage. Its main historical interest lies in its link to Philip K. Dick's work, whose film adaptations have had uneven reception.