December 4, 2023
Will Smith revealed a sequel to his I Am Legend film and what the actor looks forward to tackling next in the future.
In an appearance at the Red Sea International Film Festival on Dec. 2, Will Smith revealed a sequel to his I Am Legend film and what the actor looks forward to tackling next. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Smith joked about his propensity to create and solve problems for himself, telling the room, “I love puzzles, I love problems. Yeah, so I started making my own problems. Life is going too well.”
According to the reporting, those in the room took Smith’s statement as a commentary on his night at the 2022 Academy Awards ceremony. Smith infamously won the Best Actor award for his portrayal of Richard Williams, the father of tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams, before returning to slap host Chris Rock for comments toward his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, that he felt were offensive.
Smith would later apologize and express remorse for his actions that night while other comedians wrung their hands on social media over fears that they could be smacked like Smith slapped Rock. Smith revealed during his remarks that he counts legendary music producer Quincy Jones as a mentor.
He told the crowd, “Quincy has always made himself available,” Smith said. “He wants me to win as a human. He is devoted to me as a human, not just as an artist.” Smith continued, “Fame is a unique monster…I have to be clear about who I am and what I am attempting to do in the world. And I can’t need others to applaud for me to stay focused on my mission…I want you to feel good. And at the same time, I am deeply human. And I am in the process of perfecting my virtue.”
Smith’s comments appear to connect with the way he views movies, as he later told the crowd during an appearance at the Vox Cinemas complex at Jeddah’s Red Sea Mall that films exploring the “existential tragedy” of humanity appeal to him far more than the “cool stuff” that might happen in those films. Smith also said that love is “the central human theme” before explaining that he sees two basic plots in most films.
According to Smith, films are either about a character going for something they want against all odds or someone falling into a hole and trying their best to get out of it. Smith said that depending on whether the character is successful or not in their aims, respectively, results in either a happy or dramatic ending.
Smith revealed that he recently had a call with Michael B. Jordan and that there is a version of the first movie where his character lives, informing the crowd, “So we are going with the mythology of the DVD version where my character lived.” Smith also discussed his desire to teach and use his reach and platform to build a global storytelling community.
“So I am excited to travel the world and collaborate and be able to build a global storytelling community.” Smith also expressed doubts that political parties or systems would be enough to bring people together sufficiently, telling the crowd, “I just don’t feel politics will necessarily create the change. So I am putting the burden on myself and global artists.”
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