Will Smith has found a new home at Paramount Pictures.
The movie star and his Westbrook banner, which he runs with wife Jada Pinkett Smith, have inked a first-look deal with a focus on developing four-quadrant theatrical movies, emphasizing projects based on IP and franchise plays. The projects will be developed as starring vehicles for the Oscar winner.
Under the deal, Westbrook has set up projects at the studio, including Sugar Bandits, based on the book Devils in Exile by Chuck Hogan that follows a down-and-out Iraqi war veteran who intercepts drug deals for profit. The project has bounced around at other studios. Another project that was revealed as a part of today’s announcement is Rabbit Hole from Dune writer Jon Spaihts.
After taking the reins at Paramount Pictures, Ellison has been on a dealmaking spree. On Tuesday, the studio announced a deal with Activision that will see the popular video games series Call of Duty become a big-screen movie franchise. Other transactions include a $7.7 billion deal for UFC rights and an exclusive multiyear pact with Stranger Things creators Duffer brothers.
For his part, Smith previously worked with both Ellison’s Skydance banner and Paramount on the action thriller Gemini Man. Smith, repped by CAA, was last onscreen in 2024’s Bad Boys: Ride or Die, his comeback vehicle after slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars, and the 2022 Apple history drama Emancipation.
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