Way back in the depths of history – well, 1995, when "The Internet" was suddenly leapt upon by Hollywood as the cool new "thing", we got Sandra Bullock faced with lifestyle-erasing technology in The Net. Cut to 2017, and a similar idea, with a twist, is powering a new Ice Cube crime thriller called Before I Disappear.
Patriots Day writer Josh Zetumer has cooked up a concept that focuses on a high-tech, ultra-secret take on the witness protection program, where clients can pay to disappear by having the system wipe all records of their current lives and setting them up with new identities. Quite how Cube's character will factor into all that has yet to be detailed, though we figure he'll be someone in need of the service, and that it might not go as smoothly as he hopes. Or, given that title, the system will be used against him, and he'll be in a desperate race against time to stop his library card from being wiped. You know, something like that.
Captivate Entertainment, which knows a little something about wiping identities after producing the Bourne movies, is backing this one for Universal. "When Ice Cube appears on screen, there is an instant credibility that is undeniable," producer Ben Smith says in a statement carried by Variety. "We’re excited to be working with such a talented actor on this project."
Cube, last seen in Fist Fight, has various projects awaiting his attention, including a planned Ride Along threequel.