A new cinematic take on H.G. Wells’ classic, The War of the Worlds, quietly debuted on Amazon last month. Starring Ice Cube, the film utilizes a unique, screen-based perspective, depicting the story entirely through computer displays. The film’s release has been met with poor reviews from critics, especially regarding a plot point where a delivery pilot for a global retailer saves the Earth. Recently, the hip-hop icon addressed the buzz around the film and provided some background about its production during a live stream.
While appearing on a recent live stream hosted by popular internet personality, Kai Cenat, Ice Cube discussed a range of topics including past projects, upcoming ventures, and the aforementioned War of the Worlds adaptation. During the conversation, Cenat gently questioned the rapper about the Amazon-produced film. While the host didn’t explicitly call it terrible, Ice Cube seemed to express displeasure with the final product, mentioning that filming occurred roughly five years ago over just two weeks.
“The movie was made in 2020, it was during that period,” Ice Cube stated, referencing the global pandemic. “The whole thing was shot in 15 days under difficult restrictions.” He continued, “So, the director wasn’t really there, and it was one of the only ways we could actually do it.”
The musician further clarified that the on-screen perspective throughout the film was a direct result of these restrictions, adding that the premise of the movie also works as a reflection on modern life “If the world really comes to an end, everybody would only have their screen to look at anyway.”
Regarding the lengthy delay between filming and release, Ice Cube explained to Kai Cenat that after the distribution rights shifted from Universal to Amazon Prime, post-production experienced difficulties because of the unconventional way the film was made.
“The movie itself is shot, the actors did their parts, but the movie is made up of footage from security cameras from all over the world,” claimed Ice Cube. “They had to put all of that together, so it took some time.”
After watching it, it seems much of the footage featured in the movie is stock footage. However, it’s still possible that producers went to great lengths to gather footage.