Will Smith might have been left off the nomination list for the Oscars, but the actor has moved on to the future and is now planning his next project, Collateral Beauty. Smith’s previous film, Concussion, was expected to garner some interest from the Academy but that hasn’t transpired. Now, it seems Smith is getting deadly serious about his latest drama movie by recruiting the cream of the A-list crop.
According to The Wrap, Smith is recruiting a “Dream Team,” a wealth of A-list talent to star in the film. Collateral Beauty will be directed by director David Frankel (The Devil Wears Prada, Hope Springs). He will replace Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, who exited the project due to creative differences. Frankel will be filming from a script written and overseen by Allan Loeb, who wrote Rock of Ages and Here Comes the Boom. PalmStar CEO Kevin Frakes and Anthony Bregman are producing with Loeb and Anonymous Content’s Bard Dorros and Michael Sugar, the latter of whom received an Oscar nomination earlier on Thursday for producing Spotlight. However, despite this talented ensemble behind the cameras, the excitement continues in front of it.
First of all, Will Smith will take on the lead role in Collateral Beauty. The Focus actor, who is set to feature in Suicide Squad later in 2016, will play an advertising executive who undergoes a heavy personal tragedy. As a result, his worried colleagues conjure a plan to bring him out of the slump, and it works, but with unintended consequences. Joining Smith will be a host of talent including Oscar winner Helen Mirren, whose role is currently undisclosed. The actress, who worked primarily in the theatre at the beginning of her illustrious career, will add to a list of dramatic roles. She recently starred in The Hundred-Foot Journey, Woman in Gold and Trumbo.
2015 Oscar nominee Edward Norton will appear, fresh off major parts in Moonrise Kingdom, The Grand Budapest Hotel and Birdman. The actor, who rose to fame for playing intense dramatic characters, has recently taken on a lighter side to his cinematic career. Michael Pena will also feature in Collateral Beauty. His star is currently on the rise, and the actor is known for playing a multitude of different characters. He recently starred in Fury, Ant-Man and The Martian, and is currently filming the CHiPs reboot.
A recent addition to the cast, as reported by Empire, is Oscar nominee Rachel McAdams. This week, she received an Oscar nomination for her work in Spotlight. Her latest work also includes Southpaw, and the second season of True Detective. She is currently working on her Marvel cinematic universe debut in Doctor Strange. Another actress in place for a part is Naomie Harris, who recently took over the role as Moneypenny in the recent James Bond movies, Skyfall and Spectre. McAdams co-star in Southpaw, Harris has sparked critical acclaim for her role as Eve Moneypenny, in which the character received a modern reboot so to speak, one that has her more physically active in the field. She has been working steadily since 2002 saw her emerge in 28 Days Later.
Is this just the beginning? Will Smith is clearly pulling out the stops to ensure Collateral Beauty is a must-see film. The actor is notorious for throwing himself into his work, and for his lucrative box-office profit, so expect to see a few more choice casting announcements in the coming weeks. Collateral Beauty doesn’t have a release date yet, but it is a;so expected to be announced shortly.
[Image via Warner Bros. Pictures]