What would you risk for five minutes of pure power?
A new sci-fi flick on Netflix premieres this Friday, August 14, and it’s going to be a totally different kind of superhero movie. In Project Power, a mysterious drug is taking over the streets of New Orleans. The pill, called Power, unlocks a superpower unique to each user. But there’s a catch: you can’t really choose what superpower you get and you’ll only find out what it is once you take the pill. Your superhuman ability will only last five minutes, too, and can pose a serious threat to your own life.
The pill escalates crime in the city, and local cop Frank (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) finds himself teaming up with Robin, a teenage dealer (Dominique Fishback) and Art, a former soldier (Jamie Foxx) to fight power with power.
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In a Netflix virtual junket for international press, we talk to actors Jamie Foxx and Dominique Fishback who share about their upcoming Netflix sci-fi action film, superpowers they’d like to have, and working with each other:
Are the pills in the story a metaphor for anything to you? And what’s the closest sort of analogous situation in your life that you’ve been presented with–to take a metaphorical pill like this, or not?
Jamie Foxx: A power pill of pure power can be dangerous, especially with the wrong people, the people who don’t want to use the power for good. So that’s a little bit of a metaphor. You know, anybody can have that power, but it’s how you use it. Do you want to put love into the world? Or do you want to put hate and confusion? So it’s interesting that we did this movie two years ago, but we weren’t foreshadowing. If you look at where we are now, you know, the people that are at the top of the power chain… What are they going to use the power for? Are you going to use it to help humanity or are you going to use it to break humanity in half? So it’s an interesting thing.
And when it comes to me, when I’ve been given the power? I turned into love man, I want to send all the loveā¦ [sings] ā« “Love man, love man, someone called love man and spread love around the world!“āŖ And see how my shirt gaped open. See, there? [laughs] You know what I’m saying? So I’m ready to spread the love. And that’s what I think. I’m glad you picked up on it. But yeah, it’s definitely a metaphor.
If you could have any power for five minutes, what kind of power will you choose? And who would you go after?
Dominique Fishback: Oh, after?
Jamie Foxx: Ooohā¦
Dominique Fishback: Well, I’ve always had this answer where I will use my ability to rhyme and write spoken word poetry, similar to what Robin does in the movie. I would use that and I’d be able to make incantations and spells, so at any point in time, whatever I need, I have a spell that will make me have the power that I need. Who would I use it on? Sheesh. Um, that’s a good question. I mean, it really depends. Maybe you have to come back to me on that one. [laughs]
Jamie Foxx: What will my power be? [sings] āŖ“Love man, love man!”ā« Look up in the sky! No, he’s walking. It’s Love Man! Hi, my man. How are you? [sings] ā« “I’m spreading the love to everyoneā¦”āŖ I’ll start with a number, we’ll start singing and then we’ll have choreography, everybody dance, and then I’ll administer the love. And you know what I’m gonna do? I’m gonna give all the love to the world leaders. All the love to the world leaders because I don’t think they felt love in a while. I don’t think they really felt like what it is to be counted on for clarity, to be counted on for empathy, so I’m gonna give it all. I’m gonna give a huge dose to that. And I’m gonna tell you right now, I’m not pussyfooting around when it comes to the love, man!
How would you describe your character’s relationship with one another? And how did you guys develop that in the film?
Jamie Foxx: I have to say this, that when you do a movie, every once in a while you run into a young talent, a young talent that’s getting ready to shake up the world. Dominique Fishback is shaking up the world on August 14 on Netflix! And she’s so amazing in this and she will be standing in front of an audience saying these words: “I’d like to thank the Academy. I’d like to thank the membersā¦” She will really say that and mark my words because as she was performing, I saw her do something incredible when it came to her emotional radar, and I called my sister who also works on all the Marvel films. I said, look out for this girl, man she is going to kill.
And by seeing that, it energized me. I said man, I want to be here for her, I want to make sure that she has whatever she needs to make it happen in this movie. And we started hanging out, singing, kicking it, having a good time. And you could feel that that relationship transferred to the screen. Even when it came to, you know, the way she told me the way she eats. She’s a pescetarian. Now I thought I said, well, I’m a Baptist. You know?
Dominique Fishback: [Laughs]
Jamie Foxx: I didn’t understand, you know? I was like, well, hallelujah! But she said it was about fish! I said, okay, I’m on it! So at one point they brought her like all meat–it was like ribs and uncooked cow. I was like, “No! She is a pescetarian we must respect the religion.” And so that’s how we got along well.
Dominique Fishback: [Laughs] I mean I think for me it started soon as I got out the car and met him before the chemistry read. I was at my audition and it was like the last moment before, if you get the part or not. So you know there’s a lot of pressure on that, and I’m just trying to decide if I’m gonna fan girl when I see Jamie? Am I gonna keep it still an act like you know, act like a professional. Have my Brooklyn on, hide my feelingsā¦ But I couldn’t.
As soon as I saw him when I got to the car I just yelled, “Mr. Jamie Foxx!” Like oh, he’s in the flesh. He’s right here! I couldn’t control myself. And so when I got into the room, and he was so supportive, and we just had a blast, and he actually asked me if I rapped, and I said no but I do spoken word. “Well do something for us then!” And that is a chance to do my spoken word poetry. And he’s amazing. So I feel so honored that this is my first big movie and my first action film, and it’s on Netflix. And it’s with Jamie Foxx and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. I don’t know how to get better than that.
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Directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, with a script by Mattson Tomlin, Project Power stars Jamie Foxx, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Dominique Fishback, and Rodrigo Santoro. The film premieres this August 14, 2020 on Netflix.
