Will Smith's turn as DC Comics' top assassin Deadshot in Suicide Squad has helped the mega-star break out of a career slump, adding another blockbuster milestone (and Oscar-caliber project) to his resume. Now Smith is lining up high-profile projects left and right, with future DC movies for him to be included in; a big Netflix original film with Suicide Squad director David Ayer (Bright); a possible role as the iconic Genie in Disney's Aladdin; and of course, the long-awaited Bad Boys threequel.
With all those projects lined up, fans may get whiplash from trying to keep track of which set Big Will is on at any given moment. And, as if the actor didn't have enough on his plate, we get word that he could be playing yet another assassin for hire!
THR has the announcement that Will Smith is currently being eyed for starring role in the upcoming Ang Lee film, The Gemini Man. The script for the film has been floating around Hollywood for some time, without ever making it into development; the story revolves around, "an aging assassin who tried to get out of the business but finds himself in the ultimate battle: fighting his own clone who is 25 years younger than him and at the peak of his abilities."
Hearing that premise will no doubt have action movie fans (specifically superhero movie fans) instantly making comparison's to Logan, which (SPOILER ALERT!) had a dark third act twist, in which the aging (and dying) Wolverine has to battle a younger, berserker clone of himself. However, our takeaway is that Gemini Man would be film that features a double dose of Will Smith!
Seeing the actor onscreen is an event in and of itself; however, seeing Will Smith play a cranky, Deadshot-style badass - and then a younger, rougher, tougher, badass, would be something novel, indeed. And by that, we mean: it's something that could either make audiences very happy - or very annoyed.
The fact that it's an Ang Lee film, on the other hand, gives us nothing but hope. The man can direct anything, and pretty much has (Joyluck Club, Brokeback Mountain, Life of Pi, etc....).
You can next see Will Smith in Bright, which premieres on Netflix this December.
