Will Smith is on a roll right now. With Men In Black 3 being a relative critical and commercial success (when compared to the second one anyway), and the M. Night Shyamalan-directed epic sci-fi adventure After Earth fast approaching, Big Willy is back at the top of the game.
Rumours have been spreading about the level of control he likes to wield over projects he is involved in – he turned down the role of Django in Django Unchained, a role that reignited the career of a somewhat flagging Jamie Foxx, because he didn’t believe Django was the star (even though his NAME is in the TITLE of the MOVIE) – but this doesn’t seem to worry Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, the creative team behind the upcoming Focus.
Will Smith will play the role of an older con artist who takes a younger con artist under his wing. Ben Affleck, who almost signed up for the picture, officially dropped out due to a scheduling conflict and, seeking a big name star, went through the list of Hollywood lightbulbs and arrived at W. For Will. Will Smith. He’ll be starring alongside Kristen Stewart, who will be his younger sexy female cohort.
It’ll be a struggle for Will Smith to turn Focus into a children’s movie, but have faith. One day he’ll turn up on set wearing a black suit, or start playing absent-mindedly with a strange device that looks a bit like a pen, but flashes a mysterious light. Maybe he’ll turn up at Glenn Ficarra’s house with a wise-cracking pug dog and insist on using the dog as his crazy sidekick, or chase John Requa around LA with a giant mechanical spider. Just an average day in the life of Will Smith.
All that’s known is that the script is there, Will Smith is interested, and Warner Bros wants to get the thing made. So it will happen. Requa and Ficarra’s previous work includes Bad Santa and Bad News Bears, so expect a crotchety, old, but strangely handsome man who gradually discovers the meaning of Christmas, or teamwork, or whatever.