Will Smith will star in a new sci-fi thriller, called Resistor, based on the 2014 novel Influx by New York Times bestselling author Daniel Suarez.
The Oscar winner, 55, has reportedly been “developing the project for years” alongside American film producer Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, Steve Tisch, Jon Mone and Escape Artists’ Tony Shaw.
Heather Washington is executive producer, while Dave Wilson will serve as producer.
Screenwriter Zak Olkewicz, who wrote and produced Bullet Train (2022), wrote the first draft. Eric Singer is responsible for writing the final draft.
Right now, the “film is in development and currently searching for a director,” according to Variety.
Although the plot is still under wraps, it is an adaptation of the book Influx, which follows “a physicist who is locked up in a high-tech prison just as he is about to make a surprising breakthrough.”
Will Smith will star in a new sci-fi thriller, called Resistor, based on the 2014 novel Influx by New York Times bestselling author Daniel Suarez; seen in June 2024
According to a synopsis of the novel by The Hollywood Reporter“the scientist soon discovers that a shadowy organization has been keeping technological advances to itself and out of the reach of humanity at large” and decides to fight back.
The casting announcement comes after Smith’s latest film, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, proved to be a huge box office hit upon its theatrical release on June 7.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die, the fourth installment in the franchise, has grossed $113 million at the domestic box office and $215.5 million worldwide.
According to Variety, the franchise has now “crossed the billion-dollar mark at the global box office.”
The film came two years after Smith appeared at the center of controversy in 2022 after slapping Chris Rock on the Oscars stage.
The success of Bad Boys: Ride or Die proves that the father of three can still appeal to audiences after the controversy.
Before its release, a film industry expert assured People that Bad Boys was “not a risk” and that it was “a good piece to watch fly.”
“A talent as ambitious and financially successful as Will doesn’t go away with a single mistake,” a source insisted. “He needs to keep the box office success alive.”
The Oscar winner, 55, has reportedly been “developing the project for years” alongside American film producer Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, Steve Tisch, Jon Mone and Escape Artists’ Tony Shaw.
Right now, the ‘film is in development and currently searching for a director,’ according to Variety (pictured in 2022)
Another Hollywood insider also told the outlet that the film could put the actor “back on top” if it “does well” at the box office.
The source said the actor “should get back on top and look good for other movies he’s in and working on” in case Bad Boys 4 is successful.
The film, produced on a budget of just $19 million, grossed $65.8 million in the United States and $141.4 million worldwide.
The franchise continued with 2003’s Bad Boys II, which grossed $138.6 million domestically and $273.3 million worldwide on a $130 million budget.