Following the news that Smith’s Oldboy remake has fallen through, the erstwhile Fresh Prince has returned to more familiar territory – finding an Oscar-baiting role to alternate around his action projects.
With an I Am Legend prequel in development, and potential sequels to I, Robot and Hancock in the works, Smith has set his sites on an almost fool-proof project to finally nab the elusive Oscar he so clearly covets.
Pajiba are reporting that Smith is set to produce and star in an adaptation of Daniel Keyes 1959 novel Flowers for Algernon. The story focuses around a mentally retarded man named Charlie who, after experimental surgery, sees his IQ rocket from 68 to 185. His newfound intellect effects his ability to interact with those around him and proves far more of a burden than a blessing.
The story quite famously provided inspiration to an episode of The Simpsons and seems to tick all the requisite boxes for winning Academy approval – acclaimed source material, popular lead and weighty subjet matter. Slashfilm is reporting the film may be directed by Gabriele Muccino, the man who helmed Smith’s last two Oscar pushing projects (The Pursuit Of Happyness and Seven Pounds).
The tale has been given the big screen treatment on numerous occasions before with Ralph Nelson’s Charly being the most notable. Cliff Robertson won a best actor Academy Award for his portrayal of the titular character, a feat Smith no doubt wishes to replicate. Were he to do so, Smith and Robertson would become only the second pair of actors to have won Oscars for portraying the same fictional character. Currently only Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro hold this distinction for their portrayals of mafia don Vito Corleone.
Horrible casting choice