Oblivion: A journey of redemption

MANILA, Philippines - In 2073, a 37-year-old former marine commander Jack Harper (Tom Cruise) is one of the last few drone repairmen stationed at Earth which was nearly destroyed by an alien invasion 60 years ago. As part of a massive operation to extract the planet’s remaining vital resources, he lives in an airborne “town” floating thousands of meters above the Earth.

His mission nearly complete, Jack’s soaring existence comes crashing down when he rescues a 22-year-old female stranger from a downed spacecraft. Her arrival triggers a series of events that forces Jack to question everything he knows about the war and its aftermath. In addition, after being captured by an insurgency led by 102-year-old Malcolm Beech (Morgan Freeman), Jack is told that the society in which he lives may in fact be a police state.

Cruise stars in Oblivion, an original and groundbreaking cinematic event from the director of TRON: Legacy and the producer of Rise of the Planet of the Apes. On a spectacular future Earth that has evolved beyond recognition, one man’s confrontation with the past will lead him on a journey of redemption and discovery as he battles to save mankind.

Cruise had expressed interest in the film for a considerable period of time, and officially committed to it on May 20, 2011.

For casting one of the lead roles opposite Cruise, the producers considered five actresses: Jessica Chastain, Olivia Wilde, Brit Marling, Noomi Rapace and Olga Kurylenko, and all auditioned on Aug. 27, 2011. It was subsequently announced that Chastain would play one of the film’s two female leads. In Jan. 2012, Chastain entered into talks for a part in the Kathryn Bigelow film Zero Dark Thirty and subsequently dropped out of Oblivion contention. It was later announced that the role had been given to Kurylenko.

For the other leading role, the producers initially considered Hayley Atwell, Diane Kruger and Kate Beckinsale. The three actors traveled to Pittsburgh to screen test with Cruise, who was filming Jack Reacher. The role finally went to Andrea Riseborough. Melissa Leo was cast at a later date.

Production began on March 12, 2012 and wrapped on July 14, 2012. Filming locations included Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Louisiana. Oblivion, shot in stunning digital 4K resolution on location across the US and Iceland, is a science fiction film based on the Radical Comics graphic novel Oblivion by Joseph Kosinski and directed and co-produced also by Kosinski.

Coming soon in theaters this month, Oblivion is a Universal Pictures presentation. It is distributed by United International Pictures through Solar Entertainment Corp.