Will Smith Exits Role In Big-Budget Action Movie ‘Sugar Bandits’
EXCLUSIVE: Will Smith is exiting his co-starring role in upcoming action movie Sugar Bandits.
We understand Smith and his production company Westbrook will remain producers on the big-budget project, which was due to begin filming in coming months but had stalled due to uncertainty over Smith’s on-screen commitment.
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We hear that Smith is exiting as an actor due to scheduling conflicts. It’s not immediately clear, however, which, if any, project is being fast-tracked for the A-lister.
Word is Westbrook is seeking to re-cast Smith’s role and still intends to make Sugar Bandits in 2025. However, there’s now a question mark over the film’s outlook. The circa $80M project was sold all around the world at the EFM and in Cannes to leading independent distributors and Amazon Prime on the understanding that Smith would be starring in it.
Oscar winner Smith was to play a former special forces soldier who runs an elite vigilante squad working to wipe out the drug trade in Boston. Without Remorse and Sicario: Day of the Soldado filmmaker Stefano Sollima boarded as director earlier this year.
Pic is based on the screenplay and novel Devils In Exile by Chuck Hogan (The Town). Scouting had been done and the movie was in pre-production ahead of an anticipated shoot in Montreal. Once a start date had been agreed, offers were going to go out to other actors.
Smith made a box office comeback this summer with Bad Boys: Ride or Die, which made more than $400M in theatrical receipts worldwide. It’s possible that the success of that film has greased the wheels on a bigger studio movie for the star.
Producer Westbrook, producer, financier and seller AGC Studios, and CAA, declined to comment when we reached out to them.
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