Collateral Beauty, which director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon is hoping to make as his follow-up to Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, is close to finding a home at Warner Bros.’ New Line Cinema.

Collateral Beauty was written by Allan Loeb and is about an advertising executive who has a personal tragedy to deal with. His colleagues decide to help him move on and their plan works in unexpected ways.

The project was first revealed in May with Rooney Mara and Hugh Jackman attached. Thanks to his packed schedule, Jackman later dropped out. Will Smith later came in to replace Jackman as the ad executive, but Mara has now left.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, New Line is close to acquiring the project, entering talks with the producers before the package hit the Toronto International Film Festival market.

PalmStar Media is financing the project and producing with Likely Story. Producers are Loeb and Anonymous Content’s Michael Sugar and Bard Dorros. The executive producers are Palmstar CEO Kevin Frakes and Likely Story’s Anthony Bregman and Steven Pearl. With Smith aboard, his Overbrook will co-produce.

Filming will start this fall.

Smith’s next movie is Sony’s Concussion, which opens on Christmas Day.

image of Will Smith courtesy of INFphoto.com