Will Smith's magic may seem to be waning after the disappointment of "Collateral Beauty" and a widely panned return to music, but the Philadelphia-born actor has a shot to redeem himself well before his turn as Genie in Disney's live-action remake of "Aladdin."
Smith has found most of his memorable success in action roles, topped by "Independence Day" and the "Men in Black" franchise. True, he's done well for himself in some serious roles—"Pursuit of Happyness," "Ali," and "Concussion" all come to mind. But megastar-actor-Will Smith is most at home when he's saving the world, at least until the day he and his ears play Barack Obama.
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In December, Smith will star in the Netflix original "Bright," a buddy-cop film based in an alternative Los Angeles teeming with mythical creatures and a criminal underbelly. He'll be joined by orc cop Joel Edgerton as the two seek to rescue a young elf who finds herself in danger and prevent a citywide catastrophe.
“Battling both their own personal differences as well as an onslaught of enemies, they must work together to protect a thought-to-be-forgotten relic, which in the wrong hands could destroy everything," read a Netflix synopsis.
Directed by David Ayer, who worked with Smith for "Suicide Squad," the film will be a multimillion-dollar gamble for Netflix as the company expands its original programming into the realm of features. A featurette released last week gives us our first look at the making of the movie and how Smith tackled the role.
"Bright" will premiere in select theaters and on Netflix on Dec. 22.