Will Smith has been neglecting his acting career so he could prep his son Jaden Smith to follow in his superstar footsteps. This is evident in his upcoming project After Earth, where daddy Smith plays a background to son’s lead in the film. Now it looks like the absentee star will return focus back to himself, agreeing to star in the Hurricane Katrina drama, The American Can.
We reported on Thursday that Warner Bros. got their hands on Smith to lead in their heist film, Focus. In addition to that, Smith confirmed Sony Pictures and his Overbrook Entertainment company will move forward with American Can.
The studio is looking for director Ed Zwick to helm the film. Adetoro Makinde and John Lee Hancock penned the script which depicts Smith as John Keller, a real life hero that returns from the Gulf War looking for a new challenge. After Hurricane Katrina rips through his hometown and people lives are hanging by a thread, he finds the challenge he was looking for.
While commandeering a boat to safety, he notices an elderly woman who will certainly die if he doesn’t rescue her. Keller manages to get her safely to the American Can building but realizes there are many more victims that are hungry and homeless. He uses his survival skills and military training to keep the victims alive long enough for help to arrive.
A couple of years ago Smith reportedly wanted Denzel Washington for the lead role, but it appears that’s not going to happen.
The American Can is expected to blow into theaters sometime next year.
