What happens when a major film is sold around the world with an A-list star attached, only to then have that star drop out? We’re about to find out as Deadline reports scheduling conflicts have caused Will Smith to exit Sugar Bandits, a drug war thriller that was one of the hottest packages sold early this year with Smith as a key selling point.
Smith was set to have a co-starring role in Sugar Bandits, in which he was to play a former special forces soldier who runs an elite vigilante squad taking on the Boston drug trade. While he wasn’t meant to be the lead actor, Smith’s departure causes a lot of problems for the $80M production. Suffice it to say, unless someone equal to Smith’s stature comes aboard, the film’s prospects have to be diminished.
Sugar Bandits has a script by Chuck Hogan based on his novel Devils in Exile. Sicario 2 director Stefano Sollima will direct. Smith will remain as a producer through his Westbrook Studios banner, with the hope that the film will arrive next year.
It’s unclear what the project is that Smith has chosen over Sugar Bandits. He scored a huge $400M hit with Bad Boys: Ride or Die, and perhaps that success has led Sony to fast track a sequel?
