Looper (2012)
Looper is a 2012 American science fiction action-thriller film written and directed by Rian Johnson, and produced by Ram Bergman and James D. Stern. It stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emily Blunt, Jeff Daniels and Bruce Willis. It revolves around “present-day” contract killers called “loopers” hired by criminal syndicates from the future to terminate victims whom they send back through time. Looper was selected as the opening film of the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival and was released in the United States on September 28, 2012. The film received critical acclaim and was a box office success, grossing $176 million worldwide on a $30 million budget.RELATED:
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Plot.
In 2044, 25-year-old Joe works for a Kansas City crime syndicate as an assassin, or “looper.” Since tracking systems in the future of 2074 have made it nearly impossible to dispose of bodies undetected, the syndicate sends its enemies back in time to be executed. Managed by a man from the future named Abe, loopers kill and dispose of victims whose faces are concealed, recovering silver bars attached to their targets as payment. To hide connections to the syndicate, any loopers who survive until 2074 are sent back and killed by their own younger selves, referred to as “closing the loop.” These targets are identified by gold bars instead of silver, marking the end of the looper’s contract.
Joe’s friend Seth confesses to Joe that he failed in an assignment to kill his future self. Old Seth has escaped, after warning Seth that a person in the future called the Rainmaker will overthrow the five major bosses and close all loops. Joe reluctantly hides Seth in his apartment’s floor safe, but later reveals his location after Abe threatens to confiscate half of Joe’s saved silver. Abe’s elite “Gat Men” capture Seth, cut an address into his arm, and begin severing body parts. These effects appear on Old Seth’s body; he goes to the address on his arm and is shot dead by Kid Blue, one of the Gat Men.
When Joe’s next target arrives, it is his older self, but with his face uncovered and hands unbound. Old Joe escapes before Joe can kill him. Returning to his apartment and finding it ransacked by the Gat Men, Joe fights with Kid Blue, falls off a fire escape and blacks out.
In another timeline, Joe does kill his older self. He moves to Shanghai and becomes a hitman to finance his drug addiction and wild lifestyle. Eventually, he marries and breaks the addiction with his wife’s help. Seven years later, his wife is killed when Joe is taken to close the loop. Overpowering his captors, Old Joe sends himself back to 2044, altering his history by evading Joe and escaping.
Production.
Looper was written and directed by Rian Johnson, originally conceived as a short film starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, shortly after making Brick, Johnson’s first feature. After Johnson released The Brothers Bloom in 2008, he re-teamed with producer Ram Bergman, who produced Johnson’s previous two films, with the goal of starting production of Looper in 2009. In May 2010, Gordon-Levitt was cast in one of the lead roles, which he would play after completing Premium Rush. Later in the month, Bruce Willis was also cast. In the following October, Emily Blunt joined Gordon-Levitt and Willis. Noah Segan, Jeff Daniels and Piper Perabo were cast in January 2011. Filming began in Louisiana on January 24, 2011.RELATED:
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