Oscar-winning actor Will Smith is dropping out of the lead role in an upcoming big-budget action film. A new report confirms that Smith will not be co-starring in the planned film, Sugar Bandits.
By expiration, Smith will not act in Sugar Bandits due to scheduling conflictsHowever, it will remain a producer on the feature film project through his Westbrook Studios banner. Westbrook, who is co-producing the film with AGC Studios, is leading the recast process for the role of Smith.
Sugar Banditsdirected by Sicario: Day of the Soldier AND Gomorrah The film, directed by Stefano Sollima, was sold in May to various international distributors during the European Film Market and presented to Prime Video and major independent distributors during the Cannes Film Market. Sugar Bandits It is based on the novel by Chuck Hogan, Devils in exileand boasts a budget of $80 million. Smith, riding the wave of his big box office comeback in Bad Boys: Ride or Diewas supposed to act in Sugar Bandits as a former special forces soldier who leads an elite vigilante team trying to eradicate Boston's thriving drug trade.
Sugar Bandits is set to shoot this fall
Filming in progress Sugar Bandits was originally set to begin this fall, with principal photography in Boston and Montreal after pre-production and casting began. Smith's wavering commitment has caused the film to stall, although Westbrook and AGC intend to make the film in 2025. No potential release date has been confirmed.
Ride or Die marked Smith's second film outing (following the critically panned Emancipation) from his infamous slap to Chris Rock at the 94th Academy Awards in 2022. Seeing Smith reunite with Martin Lawrence, the fourth installment of the Bad Boys the film series was one of the most successful, grossing over $400 million worldwide and garnering mostly positive reviews from critics, as well as the franchise's best audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Starring Jacob Scipio, Eric Dane, Ioan Gruffuud, Paola Núñez, Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig, Dennis McDonald, and Melanie Liburd, Ride or Die may not be the last time fans see Smith and Lawrence's characters roaming the streets of Miami fighting crime. The duo recently hinted at the possibility of making a potential Bad Boys 5 before passing the franchise baton to younger actors, while behind the scenes discussions about another installment took place at Sony Pictures.
By Smith Ride or Die The success has recently helped him board another Sony project as he will appear in the upcoming sci-fi film, Resistor. THE Ali The star will also co-produce the film, based on the 2014 novel, Influxwhich tells the story of a physicist who discovers a device that can manipulate gravity and potentially revolutionize physics, but faces stiff opposition from a black ops operation that imprisons him, fearing the social upheaval his device could cause.
Fans can rent or purchase Smith's latest film, Ride or Diein digital, while the home video version includes a new post-credits scene.
Source: Deadline