Key Insights
- Hollywood Comeback: Will Smith is making a significant return to Hollywood with a new multi-picture deal.
- New Projects: His upcoming projects include the thrillers Sugar Bandits and Rabbit Hole.
- Production Changes: Smith’s Westbrook studio is shifting from Sony to Paramount Pictures.
- Recasting Concerns: There are uncertainties about the lead role in Sugar Bandits following Smith’s exit due to scheduling conflicts.
Will Smith is mounting a significant Hollywood comeback by inking a multi-picture deal through his Westbrook Hollywood studio. This revival is not the first time Smith has returned to the limelight, especially after starring alongside Martin Lawrence in 2024’s Bad Boys: Ride or Die and a series of music videos and shorts. However, his latest venture involves bringing various projects to life, including the thriller Sugar Bandits and Rabbit Hole.
Based on the book Devils in Exile by Chuck Hogan, Sugar Bandits follows a former special forces soldier who runs an elite vigilante squad working to wipe out the drug trade in Boston. Meanwhile, Dune scribe Jon Spaihts is applying his pen to the Rabbit Hole screenplay. Plot details are unknown.
Previously, Smith’s Westbrook banner had a deal with Sony, but after reading the tea leaves, it appears that Paramount Pictures is keen to coax Smith over to its side. Westbrook embracing Paramount comes after several creator changes, including the Duffer brothers leaving their spot at Netflix in favor of a cushy deal at Paramount.
Last year, Deadline reported that Smith would exit his starring role in Sugar Bandits due to scheduling conflicts. At the time, the plan was to recast Smith for the $80 million production, with the project selling at EFM and Cannes to distributors and Amazon Prime. However, Smith’s name was attached to the deal and was the primary reason buyers forked over the cash. With Smith out of the picture, questions loom around the film’s appeal. Reports concerning Westbrook’s deal with Paramount Pictures mention Sugar Bandits, but fail to say if Smith is returning to lead the project as its star.
In Sugar Bandits, Smith was supposed to play a former special forces soldier who runs an elite vigilante squad working to crush the drug trade in Boston. Stefano Sollima (Without Remorse, Sicario: Day of the Soldado) directs Sugar Bandits from a script by Chuck Hogan (The Town, 13 Hours, The Strain).
While Smith took a break from the Hollywood spotlight after the infamous Oscars slap incident, his star began shining anew with the release of Bad Boys: Ride or Die. The $400M+ action blockbuster placed Smith back atop the Hollywood food chain, a welcome comeback for the Fresh Prince of the Silver Screen. With Bad Boys: Ride or Die giving Smith the juice he needs to get back in the mix, more enticing (and lucrative) projects appear to be on the horizon.
