VIDEO : Will Smith in Early Talks to Star in Tim Burton's 'Dumbo'

Mike Marsland/Getty The character that Smith would play, if a deal is made, is that of a father who works at the big top. Ehren Kruger penned the script for the project, which is based on Disney's classic animated 1941 movie about a baby circus elephant who is made fun of for his large ears and is separated from his mother. Plot details are being kept under wraps, but sources say that one thing the new version does is expand and deepens the circus aspect of the story.