I AM PHARAOH?

Rachel Weisz is currently out shooting Agora for The Others director Alejandro Amenabar. And now comes word from Sun Media that the biggest movie star on the planet Will Smith is eyeing his own Egyptian movie The Last Pharaoh, from screenwriters Chris Hauty (Never Back Down) and Carl Franklin (Devil in a Blue Dress).

The film centers on Taharqa, who was king of Egypt (from 690 BC to 664 BC) and a member of the Nubian or 25th dynasty of Egypt. He was the son of Piye, the Nubian king of Napata who had first conquered Egypt, and the younger brother and successor of Shebitku. The story is about Ethiopians battling Assyrians for the throne of Amun-Ra.

The project is in the hands of Smith's Overbrook Entertainment and it would seem the role is his for the taking if he wants it. Smith is currently out filming Seven Pounds with Gabrielle Muccino (his director of The Pursuit of Happyness) about a guy who changes the course of seven people's lives during the day. From there, he was heavily rumored to move into Spielberg's The Trial of the Chicago 7 but that project looks to have been delayed at this point. I do like my big Egyptian epics and at this point I'm of the opinion that Will Smith can pretty much star and be great in anything he wants. Hope that movie with Spielberg comes off but I would be sure as hell interested in this. This is apparently what King Taharqa looked like...

source - coming soon