Will Smith is stepping down from his co-starring role in the upcoming action film Sugar Bandits.
Although Smith and his production company, Westbrook, will continue to serve as producers on the high-budget project, filming, which was scheduled to start in the coming months, has been delayed due to uncertainties surrounding Smith’s on-screen involvement.
Sources indicate that Smith is leaving the project as an actor because of scheduling conflicts, but it is not yet clear which project might take priority for the A-lister.
Westbrook is reportedly looking to recast Smith’s role and still plans to move forward with Sugar Bandits in 2025.
However, the film’s future is now in question. The approximately $80 million project was marketed globally at the European Film Market (EFM) and Cannes to leading independent distributors and Amazon Prime, with the expectation that Smith would star in it.
Smith was set to play a former special forces operative leading an elite vigilante squad to combat the drug trade in Boston.
Stefano Sollima, known for directing Without Remorse and Sicario: Day of the Soldado, had signed on as director earlier this year.
The film is based on the screenplay and novel Devils In Exile by Chuck Hogan (author of The Town).
Scouting was completed and the film was in pre-production, with plans to shoot in Montreal. Once a start date was finalized, other actors were to be offered roles.
Smith made a successful return to the box office this summer with Bad Boys: Ride or Die, which earned over $400 million worldwide. This success may have opened opportunities for larger studio projects for the star.
