The last time Will Smith played a cowboy, the results were bad with The Wild, Wild West. He’s going to try it again with Warner Bros.’ remake of the Sam Peckinpah classic The Wild Bunch.
The Wrap broke the news this afternoon, citing sources close to the production who say that Smith will also produce under his Overbrook Entertainment banner with Jerry Weintraub. The two previously worked together on The Karate Kid remake that starred Smith’s son, Jaden.
Warner Bros. has been trying to remake The Wild Bunch for a few years, with the late Tony Scott working on the project. The Wrap notes that L.A. Confidential writer Brian Helgeland had been halfway done with the script when Scott died.
The original 1969 classic was a revolutionary Western and box office success, highlighting Peckinpah’s use of violence and slow motion. It featured an all-star cast headlined by William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Warren Oates and Robert Ryan. It was set in 1913, with the group having to deal with the changes in the West and winding up in Mexico for one last job.
Smith’s version takes the tale to today, centering on a disgraced D.E.A. agent who goes after a Mexican drug lord.
Smith will next be seen on the big screen in M. Night Shyamalan's After Earth, co-starring with his son. That film hits theaters on May 31. He’s also co-producing Sony’s Annie remake.
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