Despite being generally liked by the masses, Will Smith hasn’t had much success on the big screen over the past few years. Following his memorable cameo in ‘Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues’ in 2013, things went fairly downhill with ‘Concussion’, ‘Winter’s Tale’, and ‘Collateral Beauty’. Sure, he was probably the best thing in ‘Suicide Squad’, but the bar was set pretty low there. Also, things probably wouldn’t have been any better if he decided to return for ‘Independence Day: Resurgence’. Anyway, it looks like the award-winning actor and rapper is looking to rejuvenate his career by seeking out a role in an upcoming live-action Disney film. But be ready to side-eye hardcore when you realize which one he’s eyeing up.
According to Deadline, Smith is looking to star in the upcoming live-action reimagining of the 1941 Walt Disney Animation Studios classic ‘Dumbo’ directed by Tim Burton and written by ‘Scream 3’, ‘The Ring’, and ‘Transformers’ sequels scribe Ehren Kruger. Since the studio has had a steady stream of success with their live-action remakes as of late, this may be just the thing to bring the actor’s career trajectory back into an upswing.
Although, when you consider the characters from the original film, it’s hard to imagine who Will Smith would be playing. Since the film will likely be a hybrid of CGI animals and real people, could he be lending his voice to the titular flying elephant? Or maybe he’ll play some new version of Dumbo’s mouse friend Timothy Q. Mouse or the little engine that could Casey Junior. For obvious reasons, I think it’s a pretty safe bet that he won’t be playing Jim Crow, the leader of the group of crows that ridicule Dumbo for the size of his ears. An all-new character is also an option, but no matter who Smith will be playing, there’s a good chance that we’ll find out if he’ll be involved sooner rather than later since the studio seems to be moving aggressively toward production on this project.
What do you think about Will Smith leading the cast of the upcoming live-action ‘Dumbo’? Which character from the original film do you think he could play? Share your thoughts and theories in the comments.
Despite being a “professional writer”, Ben likes run-on sentences far too much. For more of his attempts at being funny and the occasional insightful thought, follow him on Twitter and Instagram.
