Smith confirms Spielberg's approach & LEGEND alternative ending
Will Smith has confirmed to Omelete (via Collider) earlier reports that Steven Spielberg has approached the actor for a part in the director's next film THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7. This is likely to be the part of Bobby Seale, one of the 8 defendants charged with conspiracy and inciting to riot, in the wake of the 1968 Democratic National Convention, in Chicago and the one prone to outbursts and rants. Indeed he was sentenced to four years of imprisonment for contempt during one of his outbursts and had to be bound and gagged to calm him down.
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Smith says... "When Steve is ready he will send it. I dont know specifics, story, anything, but he told me the filming dates, so I can be free to do it. Its not a 100% sure thing yet, but Im confident."Smith's only other pre-strike movie is the emotional drama SEVEN POUNDS, which reunites the actor with the director who gave him an Oscar nominated performance in THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS and co-stars Rosario Dawson and Woody Harrelson which has a February/March start date. I've heard late-March/early April for CHICAGO 7... so it will be tight but I think Smith could fit it in. Let's hope he does because this movie is turning out to be one of the most fascinating Spielberg casts in a long time (Cohen, Hoffman, Smith, Spacey, Colin Hanks, Daniels... is a amazing group of actors) and Will Smith has never been hotter in the industry than he is right now. His last movie I AM LEGEND is riding high on $462 million worldwide and I frikkin' loved it... well apart from the ending and a ridiculous last twenty minutes of film. The good news is an alternative ending was shot and was set to be originally used in the theatrical cut until Warner Brothers deemed it to be "less commercial" and instead it will be placed onto a future special edition DVD, which will be the second run of the film (like the new ZODIAC director's cut) and won't be available straight away. I know I will be waiting for that one... I really hope it's an ending that can match up to what was a truly great film for everything that came before it.
