Will Smith is heading back into original action movies, and just ‘cause he’s an action star, that doesn’t mean he won’t act bizarre.
The line, pulled from Smith’s recent music comeback should start making the online rounds again Thursday after news broke that the actor will star in “Supermax,” a new action thriller headed to Prime Video. According to Variety, Amazon MGM acquired worldwide rights to the film from Miramax in a deal reportedly worth US$70 million.
The movie will be directed by David Gordon Green, best known for his recent “Halloween” films. The story centers on two FBI agents investigating a murder inside what is described as the world’s most secure prison. Smith will play a character named Rex.
The project marks a notable step for Smith’s film career. While 2024’s Bad Boys: Ride or Die earned more than US$400 million worldwide and proved audiences still showed up for the long-running franchise, “Supermax” is the actor’s first major original film since the fallout from the 2022 Academy Awards, where Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock during the live broadcast.
Since then, Smith’s Hollywood return has happened carefully and mostly through familiar territory. “Bad Boys” gave studios a safer test case because of the franchise’s built-in audience. “Supermax” appears to signal that at least some studios are now willing to bet on Smith again outside of established brands.
Amazon MGM reportedly plans to release the movie directly on Prime Video rather than in theaters. A release date has not been announced. Production is expected to begin in mid-August, and additional casting is still underway.
The screenplay was written by David Weil and David J. Rosen, whose previous television work includes Hunters and Invasion. Smith will also produce through Westbrook, the entertainment company he co-founded with Jada Pinkett Smith.
The announcement arrives during a strange stretch for Smith’s public image. His recent attempts to relaunch his music career have generated more memes than momentum, while Hollywood has slowly reopened doors that appeared shut immediately after the Oscars incident. Earlier this year, Westbrook signed a first-look film deal with Paramount Pictures focused on franchise projects.
Now, with a prison thriller, a major streaming deal and another big-budget lead role, Smith’s next chapter in Hollywood is starting to look a lot more active than it did even a year ago.