If you managed to stay awake through “After Earth,” you may have converted to Scientology.
That’s what some critics and Redditors are suggesting about the sci-fi Will Smith flick. From an erupting volcano to the futuristic costumes, the M. Night Shyamlan-directed movie is being compared to the teachings of L. Ron Hubbard’s foundational text, “Dianetics.”
Take the tagline of the film for example: “Danger is real. Fear is a choice.” Scientology is about being in control of your fears and emotions. As Hubbard wrote, “A Clear is relaxed in a fully conscious state, untroubled by aberrated fears.”
The plot of “After Earth” is about how papa Cypher Raige (Will Smith) gets his son Kitai (Jaden Smith) to get over his fears after their crash landing on a hostile planet run by monsters.
A volcano also erupts at the conclusion of the movie – an iconic image in Scientology lore.
The elder Smith has never confirmed his belief in the religion, but he certainly has ties to the group.
But if the film is trying to promote Scientology in any way, it’s going to have to make people watch the widely panned film first. The Hollywood Reporter writes that it only grossed a tepid $1 million in its opening day, and may only debut to $35 million, the lowest opening in recent memory for the superstar Smith.