Will Smith Might Have Found His Comeback Project

Will Smith might be gearing up for a comeback after the slap controversy that took place earlier this year. Deadline reported that Smith's "passion project," Brilliance, just tapped Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy to direct. While he hasn't officially committed to starring in the film, there is still hope that he will do so.  

Paramount Pictures will be adapting Marcus Sakey's novel for the big screen. Deadline referred to the film as a "passion project" for Smith, who will be collaborating with Akiva Goldsman, with whom he worked on I, Robot and I Am Legend. There has been no official announcement about whether Smith will also star in the project, but "hope remains" that he will. The movie is based on the Brilliance trilogy penned by Sakey which sees 1% of the world's children being born with powerful gifts. 

Smith may portray the role of Nick Cooper, a federal agent and a "Brilliant" himself who is tasked with terminating criminal "abnorms" who use their gifts with ill-intent. If he does take part in the film, it would mark his first role since the slapping incident. Deadline noted that he hasn't made a film since the Oscars controversy. But, his next appearance will be in Emancipation, a film from Apple that will be released either in December or in 2023. 

Smith made headlines around the world earlier this year after he took to the Oscars stage and slapped presenter Chris Rock after the comedian made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. He may have won an Oscar that same night for his performance in King Richard, but the Academy subsequently banned him from attending the ceremony for the next ten years. In July, Smith spoke out about the incident in a new video that he posted to YouTube. 

"I will say to you, Chris, I apologize to you," he said in the video. "My behavior was unacceptable and I'm here whenever you're ready to talk." Smith also addressed what has been going on in his life since the incident, saying, "It's been a minute... Over the last few months, I've been doing a lot of thinking and personal work. You asked a lot of fair questions that I wanted to take some time to answer."