Will Smith drops his starring role inSugar Bandits, an $80 million action movie, creating uncertainty about a potential recast and the project overall. Based on the novelDevils In Exileby Chuck Hogan, who also wrote the adapted screenplay, the film was originally announced in February 2024 withWill Smith set to staras a former special forces soldier leading an elite vigilante team working to wipe out the drug trade in Boston. Stefano Sollima (Without Remorse,Sicario: Day of the Soldado) had signed on as director and filming was set to start in the coming months.
Now, Smith has dropped his starring role in the approximately $80 million action movie. According toDeadline,Smith has exitedSugar Banditsdue to scheduling conflicts. However, he and his production company, Westbrook, will remain on board the big-budget project and seek to re-cast Smith’s role.
Why Will Smith Exited Sugar Bandits
& Where Does The Project Go From Here?
Smith reportedly exitedSugar Banditsas an actor due to scheduling conflicts. However,it’s currently unclear what project is causing the conflict in question. The actor is currently attached to over a dozen upcoming projects, includingI Am Legend 2, that could now be prioritized instead ofSugar Bandits. Other projects that Smith is attached to include aPlanes, Trains & Automobilesremake, and the Netflix filmsFast and LooseandThe Council.
Every Upcoming Will Smith Movie
Will Smith looks to be making a comeback after the infamous Oscar slap, with Bad Boys: Ride or Die becoming one of the most popular films of 2024.
Despite exiting as an actor, Smith’s production company will remain on boardSugar Bandits, which was originally set to start shooting in Montreal in the coming months, but was stalled due to Smith’s uncertainty surrounding his on-screen commitment. Location scouting had already been completed and once an exact start date was confirmed, offers were expected to be extended to other actors. Smith’s production company is now seeking to re-cast his role, thoughit still plans to releaseSugar Banditssometime in 2025.
However,there is now some uncertainty surrounding the film’s future. In February, the approximately $80 million movie was sold globally at the European Film Market and Cannes Film Festival to major independent distributors and Amazon Prime under the assumption that Smith would star in it. Following theinfamous Oscars slapin 2022, Smith made a strong return at the box office this summer withBad Boys: Ride or Die, which grossed over $400M worldwide, the success of which may have opened the door for a studio project larger thanSugar Banditsfor Smith.
Sugar Bandits
Cast
Based on the novel Devils in Exile by Chuck Hogan, Sugar Bandits is an action crime-thriller that began development in 2024. Expected to follow a plot similar to the book, the story follows a former soldier named Neal Maven who is brought into a team of former special forces veterans as they wage war on illegal drug trading in Boston - and they keep the profits. Believing it all to be above board, Neal soon realizes that the team has a darker agenda.
