Will Smith is going from the success of Bad Boys: Ride Or Die to a new sci-fi film called Resistor: more here.
It looks like the rehabilitation of Will Smith’s public image is set to continue, with the news that the actor has been cast in Resistor. The announcement marks Smith’s first film project announced in the wake of the success of Bad Boys: Ride Or Die which has defied a wobbly summer box office to hoover up $220m so far across the world, seemingly answering questions about whether Will Smith could rebuild his career following his ill-advised actions at the 2022 Oscars ceremony.
Following Bad Boys: Ride Or Die's impressive box office haul, it is being reported that Smith is set to lead the sci-fi thriller Resistor which is being backed by Sony Pictures. The project is reportedly based on Daniel Suarez’s 2014 novel Influx. In the novel, we are introduced to ‘a dystopian society in which the government uses shady tactics to prevent technological advancement.’
No director is yet in place but we do know that the writer of Bullet Train, Zak Olkewicz, penned the first draft of the script. Then, Top Gun: Maverick scribe Eric Singer also contributed to the screenplay.
Little else is known about the project at this stage, although it seems like the kind of old-school, movie-star driven project that Sony still likes to produce as part of its diverse release slate. Choosing Smith as the star to lead the film is certainly a very public expression of confidence in the actor and demonstrates just how significant Bad Boys: Ride Or Die’s healthy box office could be to this stage of Smith’s career.
The news comes in the wake of reports that Smith has also been meeting with Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, creators of the acclaimed Fallout and Westworld TV shows. Reports suggest that Smith may be open to joining a new project they are working on about the rise of artificial intelligence.
When we hear more about either of these projects, we’ll let you know but as it stands, after a couple of years spent in purgatory, Will Smith’s career seems to be back on the rise.
