Will Smith is set to return to the big screen in a leading role for the upcoming action thriller “Supermax,” after Amazon MGM acquired the worldwide rights from Miramax in a deal reportedly worth $70 million, per film-news.co.uk.
Directed by David Gordon Green, the project will skip a theatrical release and stream directly on Prime Video.
The film follows two FBI agents investigating a murder inside the world’s most secure prison. Smith, 57, will portray a character named Rex, with additional casting currently underway ahead of a mid-August production start. David Weil and David J. Rosen wrote the screenplay and will serve as executive producers alongside associate producer Natalie Weil.
Alex Heineman and Andrew Rona are producing for The Picture Company. Smith and Adam Fishbach will also produce via Westbrook, the production company Smith co-founded with his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Executive producers from Miramax include chief executive Jonathan Glickman, president of film Alexandra Loewy, chief operating officer Thom Zadra, and senior vice-president Spencer Ela.
The project marks another significant step in Smith’s career resurgence following the fallout from the 2022 Academy Awards, where he struck comedian Chris Rock on stage. Industry confidence has steadily returned, highlighted by Westbrook recently signing a first-look film franchise deal with Paramount Pictures.
This casting follows the box office success of 2024’s Bad Boys: Ride or Die, which grossed more than $404 million worldwide. The commercial performance of the fourth instalment demonstrated sustained audience appetite for the actor, despite the industry backlash and ongoing public scrutiny surrounding his marriage.
