Deadline is reporting tonight that Will Smith has dropped out of director Julius Onah’s Brilliance, which has a script by David Koepp and Noomi Rapace in negotiations to co-star. The film, an adaptation of the Marcus Sakey novel of the same name, was all set to begin production this summer. However, now that its without a male lead, another delay may be in store.
For those unfamiliar with Brilliance, it actually sounds quite interesting. Set in a world where a small percent of the population, known as “brilliants,” are “born with extraordinary abilities,” the film focuses on a federal agent who’s a gifted hunter and is tasked with tracking down a terrorist trying to ignite a civil war.
The reason for Smith’s departure was scheduling conflicts, which makes sense seeing as the film has had its production dates shifted several times already. While no replacement has yet been named, according to sources close to the project, Universal is scrambling to find someone to fill Smith’s shoes as production was set to get underway in just a few weeks.
The search has already begun though, apparently, so hopefully they’ll be able to find another actor in time to make the summer start date. Considering that Brilliance seems to be a pretty high-profile project, I can’t imagine they’d have too much trouble finding someone else for the role in good time.
As always, we’ll keep you posted when we hear more. For now, though, tell us, who would you like to see star in Brilliance?