Will Smith Returning to Netflix for New Movie ‘The Council’

Will Smith is getting in on the streaming wars. The actor is set to appear in a Netflix film called The Council. The movie is set to tell the story of Nicky Barnes, a New York City crime boss in the 1970s and 80s. The movie will be headed by Peter Landesman, who worked with Smith on the set of Concussion. James Lassiter will also assist in the production. Netflix’s description of the storyline suggests that it will be “never before told” portrayal of Barnes and his peers.

Barnes was a major player during his reign in the Big Apple, earning the nickname “Mr. Untouchable” from an article that appeared in The New York Times. The apt moniker was a result of him escaping numerous charges in his time.

The Harlem native put together a group, a la The Council, that featured seven African American men. The team ran much of the heroin trade during the era and stretched it’s business into neighboring states.

Barnes’ demise eventually came when then-President Jimmy Carter grew tiresome of his games and ordered the attorney general to step in and prosecute him to the fullest extent. As a result, Barnes lost the “untouchable” label as he was sentenced to life in prison.

He later indicted nearly 50 drug traffickers including some of his council members while in prison.

Smith has continued to be red hot in Hollywood after starring as the Genie in the live adaptation of Aladdin earlier this year. His latest lead role, Gemini Man, is set to hit theatres on October 4. The Philadelphia product will then see another release in December when his work as a voice actor in Spies in Disguise, which also stars Tom Holland, hits the box office.

After that, the highly-awaited third installment to the Bad Boys series will hit the theaters in January when Bad Boys for Life premieres. The movie will star Smith and Martin Lawrence as they reprise their same roles in both the first and second films.