Admittedly, Will Smith was always an odd choice for Tim Burton’s Dumbo remake. The A-list star isn’t necessarily known for his Disney movies, and he’s often quite particular with the films he does make – even if some of his recent choices, like last year’s Suicide Squad and Collateral Beauty, weren’t necessarily the most critically rewarding. Nevertheless, the actor was in talks to star in the studio’s live-action adaptation of their classic 1941 animated film, though the tides have now changed, as Smith is no longer involved, according to Deadline.
From what we’re hearing, the Hancock star reportedly backed out due to salary and scheduling concerns. Such is the life of those in Hollywood. With Sony hoping to bring Bad Boys for Life to fruition with Martin Lawrence involved and Joe Carnahan writing and directing, it seems Smith’s more interested in returning to one of his original properties than performing at the forefront of Disney’s latest cash grab. And honestly, we don’t blame him.
Under a script by Ehren Kruger, Dumbo is hoping to begin production soon, which wasn’t going to fly with Smith (sorry, I had to) While it would’ve been nice to see him try his hand in family-friendly entertainment, it’s probably for the best. I kinda wish Burton would drop out as well, but that’s a whole other discussion. They can both likely spend their time better as we don’t really know what either of them would be able to bring to the story that isn’t already there. Nevertheless, we’ll wait patiently and see how this all turns out.
As for Smith, you can catch him soon in Bright, the Netflix sci-fi crime film written by Max Landis which reunites the actor with Suicide Squad writer/director David Ayer. The plot details are kept tightly under wraps on that one, but from what we’ve heard, it sounds kinda interesting and should prove to be more of a hit than the duo’s last effort together.