Will Smith to Star in Sony Sci-Fi Thriller ‘Resistor’
The upcoming film will be based on Daniel Suarez’s 2014 novel “Influx”
Jeremy Fuster
June 18, 2024
Hot off the strong box office run of “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” Will Smith has signed on with Sony Pictures to star in “Resistor,” a sci-fi thriller based on Daniel Suarez’s 2014 novel “Influx.”
“Influx” follows a physicist who discovers a device that can reflect gravity, only for him and his lab to be shut down by a secret organization that suppresses technological advancements. Imprisoned for his discoveries, the physicist must work with his fellow rebel scientists to uncover a deep conspiracy that threatens to keep humanity in a perpetual technological dark age.
“Top Gun: Maverick” cowriter Eric Singer is adapting the screenplay off of a previous draft by Zak Olkewicz. Smith is producing with Jon Mone through his media company Westbrook, with Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, Steve Tisch and Tony Shaw producing through Escape Artists. Dave Wilson is also producing with Heather Washington as executive producer. A search has now begun for a director on the project.
Sony’s deal continues Smith’s longtime partnership with the studio and Escape Artists, who he previously worked with on films including “Seven Pounds” and “The Pursuit of Happyness.” The deal also comes as Smith’s “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” has grossed $215.5 million in its first two weekends at the box office, with the “Bad Boys” series passing $1 billion in lifetime grosses.
Smith is repped by CAA and Overbrook Entertainment. The deal was first reported by Deadline.
