It’s been three years ago Will SmithAt night he won his first Oscar Prize for his performance in “King Richard”, changed his career forever (and to the worse) by beating Chris Rock on the Oscars scene. In the immediate aftermath was Smith prohibited from the Oscars ceremony for ten yearsAnd he has spent several years rehabilitating his public image, including recently back to his raeps as the fresh prince.
Hollywood seems to have forgiven him.
Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith and their company Westbrook have now signed a first see agreement with Paramount It will see Smith in the lead role and produce several functions, the ones the studio notices “Global, four quadrant theater films.” During the pact, Paramount has already announced two projects that are intended to start Smith and that the studio also hopes may be the beginning of new franchisees. Westbrook will also get some stylish office space at Paramount Lot.
First up for Smith is “Sugar Bandits”, which is based on the book “Devils in exile” by author Chuck Hogan. The film was previously established at Universal but Paramount has acquired all rights and has it under development, said an individual with knowledge indiewed. Hogan is the author of “Prince of Thieves”, who later became Ben Affleck’s “The Town” and “Devils in Exile”, originally published in 2010, is the story of an Iraq War Veteran that starts running jobs rippling by drug dealers in Boston. And the second project is “Rabbit Hole”, which is an original script written by “Dune” writer Jon Spaihts, but no details about it yet.
It is a great opportunity and a major change in the industry’s perception of Smith, who starred during 2024’s “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” and has still proved to be a Bankmarable star with that movie (It earned $ 404 million all over the world), but between a few films made with old collaborators such as Michael Bay and some other remarkable projects set up on Westbrook and says he has taken a step back is an understatement.
Paramount, which has Glassy new owners in SkydanceHas aggressively done business with big names to strengthen their movie list, all couples for the course for a new regime who want to make a name for themselves. It won a bid for a James Mangold project that would reunite him with the Timothée Chalamet, it recently shifted the Duffer brothers away from Netflix to produce and direct movies, series and streaming properties, and this also this week dropped a deal with video game developer “Call of the massive” Call “Call.
Smith is just another feather in their hat and proof that David Ellison and companies will not be shy to take any big swings.
