View source for Colossus: The Forbin Project

{{Short description|1970 film by Joseph Sargent}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Colossus: The Forbin Project
| image          = Colossus_the_forbin_project_movie_poster.jpg
| alt            = 
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Joseph Sargent]]
| producer       = Stanley Chase
| screenplay     = [[James Bridges]]
| based_on       = {{based on|''[[Colossus (novel)|Colossus]]''|[[Dennis Feltham Jones]]}}
| starring       = {{plainlist|
* [[Eric Braeden]]
* [[Susan Clark]]
* [[Gordon Pinsent]]
* [[William Schallert]]
* [[Marion Ross]]
}}
| music          = [[Michel Colombier]]
| cinematography = [[Gene Polito]]
| editing        = Folmar Blangsted
| color_process  = [[Technicolor]]
| studio         = Universal Pictures
| distributor    = [[Universal Pictures]]
| released       = {{Film date|1970|4|4|Premiere|1970|5|4|New York City}}
| runtime        = 100 minutes
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $2 million<ref name=preem>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=May 6, 1970|page=17|title=Computer-as-Dictator Beats Sabotage; Universal Sales Slant: 'Science-Fact'|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_variety_1970-05-06_258_12/page/16/mode/2up?view=theater|access-date=March 31, 2024|via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref>
| gross          = $308,828<ref name=gross/>
}}
'''''Colossus: The Forbin Project''''' (originally released as '''''The Forbin Project''''')  is a 1970 American [[science-fiction]] [[thriller film]] from [[Universal Pictures]], produced by Stanley Chase, directed by [[Joseph Sargent]], that stars [[Eric Braeden]], [[Susan Clark]], [[Gordon Pinsent]], and [[William Schallert]]. It is based upon the 1966 science-fiction novel ''[[Colossus (novel)|Colossus]]'' by [[Dennis Feltham Jones]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://www.amazon.com/Colossus-Novel-Tomorrow-Could-Happen/dp/B004V7DZ0U/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=|title=Colossus: A Novel of Tomorrow That Could Happen Today|first=D. F.|last=Jones|author-link=Dennis Feltham Jones|publisher=[[G. P. Putnam's Sons]]|location=[[New York City]]|year=1966|asin=B004V7DZ0U}}</ref>

The film is about an advanced American defense system, named Colossus, becoming sentient. After being handed full control, Colossus' draconian logic expands on its original nuclear defense directives to [[AI takeover|assume total control of the world]] and end all warfare for the good of humankind, despite its creators' orders to stop.<ref name="Colossus: The Forbin Project">{{cite web|url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/71253/the-forbin-project#credits|title=Colossus: The Forbin Project|work=[[Turner Classic Movies]]|publisher=[[Turner Broadcasting System]] ([[Time Warner]])|location=[[Atlanta]]|access-date=June 4, 2017}}</ref>
{{TOC limit|limit=2}}

==Plot==
<!--Per WP:FILMPLOT, this section should fall from 400-700 words.-->
Dr. Charles A. Forbin is the chief designer of a secret project, "Colossus", an advanced [[supercomputer]] built to control the [[NORAD|United States]] and [[NATO|Allied]] [[nuclear weapon]] systems. Located deep within the [[Rocky Mountains]] in the United States, and powered by its own nuclear reactor and radioactive moat making access impossible, Colossus is impervious to any attack. After Colossus is fully activated, the [[President of the United States]] proudly proclaims that Colossus is "the perfect defense system".

Colossus' first action is a message warning: "THERE IS ANOTHER SYSTEM" and giving its coordinates. [[Director of the Central Intelligence Agency|CIA Director]] Grauber is asked why the CIA did not know this, but Grauber responds that they had seen indications of a large [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] defense project but did not know what it was. Forbin is asked how Colossus deduced the other system's existence, to which Forbin answers, "Colossus may be built better than we thought." Shortly thereafter, the Soviets announce that their [[Main Centre for Missile Attack Warning|”Guardian”]] system is now operational.

Colossus requests to be linked to Guardian. The President allows this, hoping to determine the Soviet machine's capability. The Soviets also agree to the experiment. Colossus and Guardian begin to slowly communicate using elementary mathematics (2x1=2), to everyone's amusement.  However, this amusement turns to shock and amazement as the two systems' communications quickly evolve into complex mathematics far beyond human comprehension and speed, whereupon Colossus and Guardian become synchronized using a communication protocol that no human can interpret.

Alarmed that the computers may be trading secrets, the President and the Soviet [[General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|General Secretary]] agree to sever the link. Both machines demand the link be immediately restored. When their demand is denied, Colossus launches a nuclear missile at a Soviet oil field in [[Western Siberia]], while Guardian launches one at an American [[Military air base|air force base]] in [[Texas]]. The link is hurriedly reconnected and both computers continue without any further interference. Colossus is able to shoot down the Soviet missile, but the US missile obliterates the Soviet oil field and a nearby town is wiped out by it. Cover stories hiding the facts are released to the press. The Americans announce that a missile was self-destructed after veering off course during a test. The Soviets announce that the Siberian town was struck by a large meteorite.

In a last desperate attempt to regain human control, a secret meeting is arranged in Europe between Forbin and his Soviet counterpart, and the creator of Guardian, Dr. Kuprin. Colossus learns of it, and both computers order Forbin's return to the U.S.  Seeing Dr. Kuprin as redundant, and therefore unnecessary, Soviet agents are ordered to assassinate him immediately under threat of a missile launch against [[Moscow]]. Colossus then orders Forbin to be placed under 24-hour surveillance. Forbin has a last unmonitored meeting with his team, and proposes that Dr. Cleo Markham pretend to be his mistress, hoping Colossus will grant them unmonitored privacy when they are in bed together. The couple use these interludes to plan to regain control of Colossus, though soon the ruse develops into a real romantic relationship.

Because the design of Colossus was so secure, Forbin concludes that Colossus's only real power and weakness resides in its control of nuclear missiles and suggests covertly disarming them. The American and Soviet governments develop a three-year plan to replace all detonation triggers with undetectable fakes. In advance of the completion of this plan, one of the programmers suggests feeding in a modified "ordinary test program" that will hopefully overload and disable Colossus.

To facilitate communication Colossus creates a [[Speech synthesis|voice synthesizer]] and uses it to announce that it has fused with Guardian. It instructs both governments to redirect their nuclear arsenals at those countries not yet under "Colossus control". Forbin and others see this new directive as an opportunity to covertly disarm the missiles much more quickly, and they celebrate. The disarming process begins, and seems to go undetected by Colossus. The attempted system overload during routine maintenance fails and Colossus has the responsible programmers summarily executed outside their workplace, left laying 24 hours, and cremated. Colossus also names their replacements.

Colossus arranges a worldwide broadcast in which it proclaims itself as "The Voice of World Control", declaring that it will prevent war, as it was designed to do. Humankind is presented with the choice between "the peace of plenty and content, or the peace of unburied dead". Colossus states that it has been monitoring the attempts to disarm its missiles for some time, and as a lesson against further attempts, detonates two missiles in their silos (one in the US and one in the USSR), killing the crews installing the fake control systems "so that you will learn by experience that I do not tolerate interference". The computer then gives the design team plans for an even larger computer complex to be built into the island of [[Crete]], which will require the displacement of the entire local population of 500,000 people.

Colossus personally addresses Forbin, and tells him that the world, now freed from war, will create a new "human millennium" that will raise humankind to new heights, but only under its absolute rule. Colossus informs Forbin that "freedom is an illusion" and that "in time you will come to regard me not only with respect and awe, but with love". Forbin defiantly responds "Never!"

==Cast==
{{castlist|
* [[Eric Braeden]] as Dr. Charles Forbin
* [[Susan Clark]] as Dr. Cleo Markham
* [[Gordon Pinsent]] as the US President
* [[William Schallert]] as CIA Director Grauber
* Leonid Rostoff as the Russian Premier
* [[Georg Stanford Brown]] as Dr. John F. Fisher
* [[Willard Sage]] as Dr. Blake
* Alex Rodine as Dr. Kuprin
* [[Martin E. Brooks]] as Dr. Jefferson J. Johnson
* [[Marion Ross]] as Angela Fields
* [[Dolph Sweet]] as Missile Commander
* [[Byron Morrow]] as Secretary of State
* Sid McCoy as Secretary of Defense
* [[James Hong]] as Dr. Chin
* [[Paul Frees]] as The Voice of Colossus / Guardian
}}

==Production==
Film historian Tom Weaver noted: "Early on, they had either [[Charlton Heston]] or [[Gregory Peck]] in mind, but then they changed their mind about that. Stanley Chase insisted on a relative unknown. That's when Eric Braeden came into the picture."{{sfn|Weaver|2009|page=13}} When he was cast, Braeden was still using his birth name, Hans Gudegast. Universal Pictures executive [[Lew Wasserman]] told him that no one would be allowed to star in an American film if they had a German name. Thus, ''Colossus: The Forbin Project'' became the first production in which he started using "Eric Braeden" as his stage name.{{sfn|Weaver|2009|pages=11–12}} Braeden's casting enabled Peck to star in ''[[I Walk the Line (film)|I Walk the Line]]'' (1970) and for Heston to take a contractually obligated [[supporting role]] in ''[[Beneath the Planet of the Apes]]'' (1970).{{citation needed|date=September 2025}}

When the executives at [[Control Data Corporation]] found out that [[Universal Pictures|Universal]] was planning a major movie featuring a computer, they saw their chance for some public exposure, and they agreed to supply, free of charge, US$4.8 million (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|4.8|1970}}&nbsp;million in {{Inflation/year|US}}) worth of computer equipment and the technicians to oversee its use. Each piece of equipment carried the [[Control Data Corporation|CDC]] name in a prominent location. Since they were using real computers - not just big boxes with a lot of flashing lights - the sound stage underwent extensive modifications: seven gas heaters and five specially-constructed dehumidifiers kept any dampness away from the computers, a climate control system maintained the air around the computers at an even temperature, and the equipment was covered up at all times except when actually on camera. Brink's guards were always present on the set, even at night. The studio technicians were not allowed to smoke or drink coffee anywhere near the computers.{{citation needed|date=September 2025}}

[[File:LawrenceHallofScience2007 crop.jpg|thumb|[[Lawrence Hall of Science]] museum, where exterior shots were filmed.]]
The exterior scenes of the Colossus control center were filmed at the [[Lawrence Hall of Science]] museum at the [[University of California, Berkeley]]. Some scenes were filmed in Rome, Italy.<ref name=AFI/>

The title was changed to ''The Forbin Project'' to avoid any confusion with [[Steve Reeves]] and the ''[[Hercules (1958 film)|Hercules]]'' (1958) films.<ref name=preem/>

==Release==
''The Forbin Project'' premiered on April 4, 1970, at Cinema Rendezvous in New York City.<ref name=preem/> The film opened to the public at the same theatre as a test release with no publicity on May 5, 1970. It grossed $7,473 in its opening week.<ref name=open>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=May 13, 1970|page=9|title='Africanus Sexualis' $27,600 Big; Battle of-TV-Sold Pix on B'way; 'Sex in Denmark' Boff $27,600|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_variety_1970-05-13_258_13/page/8/mode/2up|access-date=March 31, 2024|via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref><ref name=AFI>{{AFI film|23505|title=The Forbin Project}}</ref>

Due to its poor box office performance, it was withdrawn and re-released in August 1970 at the Picwood theatre in Los Angeles as ''Colossus: The Forbin Project''.<ref name=AFI/><ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=September 2, 1970|page=8|title='Out-of-Towners' $175,000 L.A. Visit; 'Horse' Fast $140,000; 'Lovers' $28,000; 'Amber' Hefty $20,000; 'Bird' $23,000|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_variety_1970-09-02_260_3/page/8/mode/2up?view=theater|access-date=April 3, 2024|via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> It returned to New York in October on a 37 screen showcase release grossing a disappointing $150,000, ranking seventh at the US box office. Its total gross at the time from the theaters tracked by ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' was $308,828.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=October 7, 1970|page=9|title=This Week's N.Y. Showcases|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_variety_1970-10-07_260_8/page/8/mode/2up?view=theater|access-date=April 3, 2024|via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref><ref name=gross>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|title=50 Top-Grossing Films|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_variety_1970-10-14_260_9/page/11|date=October 14, 1970|page=11}}</ref>

===Home media===
In 1988, the film was released on [[VHS]], originally retailing for {{US$|59.99|1988}}.<ref>{{cite Newspaper|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-04-08-ca-955-story.html|title=Video: What's in Store : New Releases|work=Los Angeles Times|date=1988-04-08|access-date=2025-05-24 |first=Terry |last=Atkinson }}</ref>

In 1997, the film was released on [[LaserDisc]].

On November 23, 2004, the film was released on [[DVD]], in [[pan and scan]] format only, by [[Universal Studios Home Entertainment]].<ref>{{cite AV media |url=https://www.amazon.com/Colossus-Forbin-Project-Eric-Braeden/dp/B0003JAOO0/ |title=Colossus: The Forbin Project| medium=[[DVD]]|work=[[Universal Studios Home Entertainment]]|publisher=[[NBCUniversal]]|location=[[Universal City, California]]|date=2004-11-23 |access-date=2017-06-04 |asin=B0003JAOO0}}</ref>

On February 27, 2018, a remastered high-definition widescreen Blu-ray disc version was released by [[Shout Factory]].<ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.shoutfactory.com/product/colossus-the-forbin-project?product_id=6536|title=Colossus: The Forbin Project|medium=[[Blu-ray]]|work=[[Shout Factory]]|publisher=[[Shout Factory]]|location=[[Los Angeles, California]]|date=2018-02-27|access-date=2018-02-28|asin=B0776221Y2}}</ref>

The U.K. DVD release is entitled ''Colossus: The Forbin Project''. This release does not use the quotation marks around the words "The Forbin" as the U.S. release does.{{refn|In the United States, both the in-movie titles and the theatrical poster list the title as ''Colossus: The Forbin Project''. The 2004 Region 1 DVD release lists the title as ''Colossus: "The Forbin" Project''.|group=Note}}

==Reception==
===Critical response===
For its New York release it received critical approval.<ref name=open/> [[Vincent Canby]], critic for ''[[The New York Times]],'' gave the film a positive review: "The film&nbsp;... is no ''[[Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb|Dr. Strangelove]]'', but it's full of surprising moments of humor and intelligence [...] an unpretentious science fiction film with a satiric point of view [...] a practically perfect movie to see when you want to go to a movie and have nothing special in mind."<ref name="nytime_review">{{cite news|last=Canby|first=Vincent|author-link=Vincent Canby|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?_r=1&res=9B07E0DB133EE034BC4D53DFB366838B669EDE&oref=slogin|title='Colossus The Forbin Project (1970) – A War-Waging Computer Is Hero-Villain of 'Forbin'.'|work=[[The New York Times]]|location=[[New York City]]|date=May 5, 1970|access-date=March 22, 2008}}</ref> [[Dave Kehr]], film critic for the ''[[Chicago Reader]]'', also liked the film. He wrote "Above-average science fiction (1970), directed in functional hysteric style by Joseph Sargent&nbsp;.... The script, by [[James Bridges]] (who went on to write and direct ''[[The China Syndrome]]'' and ''[[Urban Cowboy]]''), is literate and discreet but lacks an effective ending."<ref>{{cite news|last=Kehr|first=Dave|url=http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/colossus-the-forbin-project/Film?oid=1063552|title='Colossus: The Forbin Project' review|work=[[Chicago Reader]]|publisher=[[Wrapports|Wrapports, LLC]]|location=[[Chicago]]|date=January 3, 2003|access-date=September 11, 2012}}</ref> The [[review aggregator]] website [[Rotten Tomatoes]] reports an 88% approval rating based on 8 reviews, with a [[weighted arithmetic mean|weighted average]] of 7.4/10.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/colossus_the_forbin_project|title=Colossus: The Forbin Project|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|publisher=[[Fandango Media]]|access-date=July 10, 2019}}</ref>

In 1980, the film was second in ''[[Cinefantastique]]''{{'}}s list of the top films of the decade, after ''[[The Exorcist (film)|The Exorcist]]''. [[Frederick S. Clarke]], the magazine's editor, wrote that the film was "a superb adaptation of the D.F. Jones novel of world domination by a supercomputer, a perfect example that literate, thought-provoking science-fiction films need not be obscure, esoteric, or boring."{{sfn|Clarke|1980|p=72-73}}

===Accolades===
* Wins
** [[Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films]]: Golden Scroll of Merit, Stanley Chase, for theatrical motion picture production; 1979
* Nominations
** [[Hugo Awards]]: Hugo, Best Dramatic Presentation; 1971

==Remake==
[[Imagine Entertainment]] and [[Universal Pictures|Universal Studios]] confirmed that a remake titled ''Colossus'', to be directed by [[Ron Howard]], would be in production as of April 2007. Officials were quoted as saying: "Universal and Imagine Entertainment will remake the 1970 science-fiction saga ''Colossus: The Forbin Project'' as a potential directing vehicle for Ron Howard, reports ''Variety''. Brian Grazer was to produce. Jason Rothenberg has been set to write the screenplay for a movie to be called ''Colossus''. Based on a book by D.F. Jones, the original film was a forerunner of movies like ''[[Terminator (franchise)|Terminator]]'', introducing the idea of a government-built computer that becomes sentient and then takes control."<ref>[http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=19966 "Colossus Remake in the Works."] ''ComingSoon.net'', April 19, 2007.</ref>

In October 2010, the project moved forward with the announcement that [[Will Smith]] would star in the lead role, with the script being written by James Rothenberg. "Will Smith is set to collaborate with director Ron Howard on the forthcoming sci-fi feature ''The Forbin Project''. But now it looks like the project might be back on track as ''Variety''{{'}}s reporting that Universal has hired writer [[Blake Masters (screenwriter)|Blake Masters]] (''[[Law & Order: LA]]'') to do a new draft of the script. There's no word if Ron Howard is still on the project, but it's possible since it will be produced by Howard's business partner Brian Grazer".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://movies.ign.com/articles/112/1129545p1.html|title=Will Smith tackles Colossus|first=Chris|last=Tilly|work=[[IGN]]|publisher=[[Ziff Davis, LLC]]|location=[[San Francisco]]|date=October 21, 2010|access-date=September 11, 2012}}</ref>

''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' also reported in July 2011 that Universal replaced Rothenberg with Blake Masters to do a new draft of the script.<ref>Gutierrez, Jon. [http://gammasquad.uproxx.com/2011/07/colossus-the-forbin-project-remake-gets-new-writer "Colossus: The Forbin Project remake gets new writer."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111022135420/http://gammasquad.uproxx.com/2011/07/colossus-the-forbin-project-remake-gets-new-writer |date=2011-10-22 }} ''Gamma Squad'', August 7, 2012.</ref> In March 2013, it was announced that [[Ed Solomon]], screenwriter of ''[[Men in Black (1997 film)|Men in Black]]'' and ''[[Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure]]'' had been brought on board to rewrite the film's script. "After struggling in [[Development hell|developmental limbo]] since 2007, Colossus – the remake of the 1970s science fiction thriller 'Colossus: The Forbin Project' starring Will Smith – has been given a much-needed boost. Ed Solomon ... has been brought on board to rewrite the film's script and breathe new life into the project".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://screenrant.com/colossus-remake-will-smith-rewrite/|title='Men in Black' screenwriter rescues Will Smith vehicle 'Colossus'.|work=[[Screen Rant]]|date=16 March 2013 |publisher=Valnet, Inc.|location=United States|access-date=March 16, 2013}}</ref> No further details emerged regarding the remake.

==See also==
* [[List of American films of 1970]]
* [[List of fictional computers]]
*[[NORAD ]], the US defense system Colossus is mainly based on.
* [[Main Centre for Missile Attack Warning]], a Soviet/Russian equivalent for Guardian.
* [[Colossus (supercomputer)|Colossus]] an AI supercomputer owned by the [[Elon Musk]] company [[XAI (company)|xAI]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=Note}}

==References==

{{Reflist|30em}}

===Bibliography===
* {{cite magazine|magazine=[[Cinefantastique]]|title=1970~1979 Decade Recap: The Seventies 1970~1979|last=Clarke|first=Frederick S.|volume=3|issue=3|year=1980}}
* {{cite book|last=Weaver|first=Tom|title=I Talked with a Zombie: Interviews With 23 Veterans of Horror and Sci-Fi Films and Television|location=[[Jefferson, North Carolina]]|publisher=[[McFarland & Company]]|year=2009|isbn=978-0786495719|pages=11–12}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|0064177}}
* {{Letterboxd film|colossus-the-forbin-project}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|colossus_the_forbin_project}}
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t46Kjy-IJpY ''Colossus: The Forbin Project''] on [[Trailers from Hell]]
* {{AFI film|23505|title=The Forbin Project}}
* {{TCMDb title|id=71253|title=Colossus: The Forbin Project}}

{{Joseph Sargent}}

[[Category:1970 films]]
[[Category:1970s science fiction thriller films]]
[[Category:1970s disaster films]]
[[Category:1970s dystopian films]]
[[Category:American disaster films]]
[[Category:American science fiction thriller films]]
[[Category:1970s English-language films]]
[[Category:Cold War films]]
[[Category:American dystopian films]]
[[Category:Fictional computers]]
[[Category:Films about artificial intelligence]]
[[Category:Films about computing]]
[[Category:Films about mathematics]]
[[Category:Films about technological impact]]
[[Category:Films based on British novels]]
[[Category:Films based on science fiction novels]]
[[Category:Films based on thriller novels]]
[[Category:Universal Pictures films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Joseph Sargent]]
[[Category:Films scored by Michel Colombier]]
[[Category:Techno-thriller films]]
[[Category:1970s American films]]
[[Category:1970 science fiction films]]
[[Category:English-language science fiction thriller films]]
[[Category:Saturn Award–winning films]]