THE OBENSON REPORT

Covering Cinema From All Across The African Diaspora
Showing posts with label will smith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label will smith. Show all posts

Bollywood, Starring Will Smith

Posted on 1:50 PM comments (2)
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WILL
Interesting piece from Variety Magazine I thought worth sharing.

It's no secret to anyone that Will Smith is an international superstar; here's a very good reason why:

Hollywood isn't a big deal in India, but Will Smith is. While Hollywood movies must make do with a market share of 5%-10% in a subcontinent dominated by Bollywood and other local varieties of cinema, Smith once again confounds expectations.

He helped launch Sony's Pix channel in India, has done guest turns on talent competition show "Indian Idol" and even has a production deal with UTV, one of India's leading studios.

According to previous accounts, Smith's interest in India came after release plans for the superstar's date-doctor pic "Hitch" were rejected by Chinese authorities. Angry at being locked out of such a growth market, the proactive Smith turned to Sony... who instead of suggesting a solution to the China problem, said they could be more helpful in India, a much more open market.

A month or two later, Smith and Overbrook partner James Lassiter took a five-day trip to India, where they met execs, directors and giants of the Indian scene, including superstar Amitabh Bachchan, and visited the Taj Mahal.

"On his first trip to India, not only did Will have a great time and meet a lot of interesting people, but I believe he really did fall in love with India -- the warmth of the people and the interaction and the buzz of the city and the creative energy of the people of the film world," says UTV topper Ronnie Screwvala.

"I really feel there is a marriage to be made between Hollywood and Bollywood," Smith said at the time, and he joked that he would like to be called "the Big W," an echo of Bachchan's nickname "the Big B."

Smith's global appeal may have much to do both with his interest in the world beyond the U.S. shores and his willingness to engage in a hands-on fashion.

"It's been said, 'Why sell something to 10 people when you can sell it to 10 million people?' You have to have a global perspective," Smith told the New York Times.

He is critical of stars who don't like to travel abroad in support of their movies, and he uses each of his Hollywood tentpoles to target a particular country for intense promotion work - and expansion of his inclusive, arms-wide-open brand.

[...]

Screwvala... saw an opportunity to build something, and he quickly followed up with meetings in L.A. and Gotham. That turned into a $30 million deal for UTV and Overbrook to co-produce movies that Sony would distribute.

Plan is to make a live-action film in the region of $10 million and an animated pic costing $20 million. Deal sees UTV provide coin up to a specified sum, beyond which Overbrook has to raise the money. Emphasis is on Smith and Lassiter to develop a script and hire the cast.

"We struck a chord, and it was clearly keeping in mind an Asia and India slant," says Screwvala...

[...]

Since that first trip to India 2½ years ago, Smith and Lassiter have returned regularly, visiting more stars, execs and locations. Danny Boyle reports that Smith visited him twice while the Brit helmer was lensing India-set "Slumdog Millionaire."

"There's going to be a massive coming together of Bollywood and Hollywood. It'll only take one person to bring them together, and it'll be huge," Boyle told the Indian press. The Big W could be the man for the job.
As Johnny Caspar laments in Miller's Crossing, "Running things, it ain't all gravy."

I concur!

I had no idea he's made appearances on Indian television (Indian Idol) - I wonder if there are any clips of this floating around the web. Time to do some digging.

I wonder if any of these Will Smith/Bollywood flicks will reach American screens...


via VARIETY
WILL

Script Review, 'Tonight, He Comes' AKA 'Hancock'

Posted on 8:29 PM comments (13)
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OK! Following up with what I said in THIS POST, I just finished reading the original 226-page script for Tonight, He Comes, the screenplay that the film Hancock is based on, written by Vincent Ngo. You can get a copy of the script here: TONIGHT, HE COMES.

I should first point out that this draft was written in 1996, 12 years ago! So, it's a project that's been floating around for quite awhile. During that time period, 5 different directors have been attached to it (some big names actually, like Michael Mann and Tony Scott), and almost as many writers; although Will Smith attached himself to star in the film in 2005. So, it went through several rewrites by different writers, which, history I think will show, is often to the script's detriment.

This case does nothing to end that trend.

It’s far from a perfect script; but I must say that what I read appealed to me much moreso than the film that opened last week.

I say the script is far from perfect because it has its share of flaws – flaws that are ironically similar to those that many of us found in the finished film.

Yes, there are a few similarities between script and film, but I was surprised at how really different the combined effect of the words on the page were to what I saw on screen.

The tone and mood of the script contradict what we experience in the film, but I think it works. Hancock is a dark, brooding, tormented soul – nothing humorous about this fella. Despite his vices – he smokes and drinks heavily, spending nights in shitty dives, drowning his ills in alcohol and cigarettes, while picking up prostitutes - he has taken it upon himself to be humanity’s savior. There are moments when he flies into action, and performs superheroic acts like foiling a bank robbery attempt. But, surprisingly, those moments are very few. There’s very little of the usual “Superhero” mechanics you’d expect in a superhero story, which, I’m sure, irked the studio execs who likely preferred a little (or much) more opportunities for spectacle. After all, it is a superhero movie, right?

Not quite.

The script is as much about superheroes, as E.T. was about alien invasions. Each grandiose idea attracts you to the story, but as you read/watch, you realize that there’s a lot more going on than originally advertised.

As I already stated, Hancock is a dark, brooding, tormented soul. I’d even add mercurial to the mix. Unlike the film, he’s the ONLY one of his kind (if you’ve seen the film, or read the spoilers, you know what I’m referring to). And he’s taken it upon himself to maintain peace and order on earth (or specifically, New York, since that’s where the entire story takes place). However, his choice has become his burden. He realizes he has a “gift” (although we never really learn where he came from, or how he got his powers), and, as the saying goes, to whom much is given, much is expected, a credo that he seems to live by.

He’s certainly no Superman - the pure, practically perfect superhero - Jesus Christ in leotards and a red cape, if you will – far from it. But he believes in something – truth, justice, altruism – despite his many vices, which are exploited repeatedly within the 226-page script.

Perfect he is not.

The only coda he seems to live by, which is voiced many times over by several different characters in the script, is, “I gotta do what I gotta do.” In essence, do what you must with what you’ve got, to get what you want. Or even possibly - make the most out of the cards that life has dealt you. No complaining! No regrets!

What Hancock ultimately wants is to be free of his burden. There are a handful of dream sequences in which he’s drowning in the cries and tears of the "simple" men and women, wanting to be saved from whatever troubles ail them, but he can’t silence the noises – something akin to Deanna Troi in the Star Trek: The Next Generation television show, the telepath who’s able to sense and feel the emotions buried within others. So, when others feel pain, their sadness becomes her sadness, and there isn’t much she can do to stop it, even though sometimes she’d like to. But it’s her burden to bear… it’s her “gift”… she's "gotta do what she’s gotta do.”

Hancock wants to be saved, a request he places on Mary Longfellow, the wife of Horus Longfellow (a security guard at a local mall and all-around wimp), and mother of Aaron Longfellow (an 8-year old replica of his father, and frequent target of school bullies) – in the filmed version, these 3 characters are instead represented by the Embreys: Charlize Theron (house wife Mary), Jason Bateman (Ray, Public relations pro) and the kid who plays their son (also a target for bullies).

The Longfellows are clearly a couple of notches lower on the socio-economic ladder, relative to the middle to upper middle class Embreys. Horus almost became a “real” cop, but failed out of police academy. So he becomes the next best thing, a security guard – one lacking big enough testicles to stand up to his bully next door neighbor, who regularly steals his daily morning paper, to the dismay of Horus and Mary.

Horus is rather pathetic, and his son, Aaron, hates that his father is without a spine. Aaron himself is no tough guy either, taking after his father, allowing 3 school bullies to make his life quite miserable as they find new ways of tormenting him, usually ending in a group beating.

Mary is simply wife and mother, providing man and boy with as much emotional support as they need to survive one day after another. She is the rock that keeps the household stable – as stable as it can be in its current state, anyway.

As expected, their rather mundane lives change when their paths cross with that of Hancock’s. Whether it’s for the better or worse isn’t entirely certain to me, even after reading the script through to the end.

A common question that script readers ask screenwriters is, “what is your script REALLY about,” hinting at the fact that at the heart of every story, no matter the packaging, is some basic idea or message that guides the plot from “FADE IN” to the “FADE OUT.”

At its core, Tonight, He Comes wants to deconstruct traditional definitions of masculinity – asking age old questions like, “what does it mean to be a man?” But it doesn't quite succeed, as this theme isn't necessarily carried throughout the script, making it feel inconsistent, much like the film.

Is Hancock the ideal man? We see him, all-powerful, indestructible and confident, which breeds a certain kind of persona that women swoon over, as they throw themselves at him, even if it’s just for a night of physical pleasure, which we see happen at least twice. Yet, despite all of those “perks” as some would call them, inside, he longs to be a simple man, living a simple life, free of his “burden.”

Clearly Horus isn’t the ideal man – certainly the script doesn’t think so. Hence, while Hancock essentially longs for Horus’s kind of life, Horus wishes he had Hancock’s abilities. So, who’s really better off here? Who's the real man? Trading places wouldn’t solve their individual problems entirely, but it’s clear that both wouldn’t mind walking in the other’s shoes, even for a day. The conundrum created by this dynamic is actually quite fascinating I think, but unfortunately isn’t fully explored in the script. That alone – a besieged superhero and his desire to be human, intersecting with a wimpy human and his desire to be a superhero – could have been developed into something substantial, but the writer ignored that premise mostly, unfortunately.

What we instead get are 4 different stories that aren’t fully realized, much like the film. At the end of my reading, I wasn’t sure whose story was being told in the script. Each character got just about equal face time, but none of their individual stories develops into anything particularly interesting.

Like the movie, I was intrigued during the first half – the overall Dark Knight tone of it kept me interested. I remember imagining the city and sites as the writer described them in the script, and my mind’s eye frequently reverting to Gotham, right out of the last Batman movie - seedy, unwelcoming, Hades on earth. I loved that. It worked for me, especially given Hancock’s M.O. as I described above. For those first 60 pages, Hancock (the character) was interesting to me. I wanted to get to know him a little longer. His mercurial nature kept me wondering what was going to happen with him next.

The Longfellows in their individual roles were familiar; but their normality provided a useful contrast to Hancock’s troubled superheroics.

Also like the movie, the script loses its way in the second half. It becomes “regular,” relying on old favorites to push the story forward, which annoyed me a bit actually. It’s perplexing when a writer/filmmaker starts off with refreshing promise, building up expectations of a strong, rewarding finish, but then throws it all away in the end. The writer introduces some really interesting ideas early on that could have been explored further, but at the finish, he favors convention over invention.

Both Horus and Aaron (thanks in part to Hancock’s intrusion in their lives), finally decide to fight back against their “oppressors,” and I guess we’re supposed to cheer for them, in proverbial happy ending fashion, as each apparently becomes a man, displaying some testicular fortitude. However, Hancock is left still carrying his burden, unable to see his wish realized at the hands of Mary. So, Hancock essentially becomes the catalyst that Horus and Aaron needed to change, with Mary acting as not much more than a decoy; Horus, in a primordial way, fulfills his wish. He becomes a superhero of sorts - at least to his son.

As I said earlier, I wasn’t quite sure whose story was central. There doesn’t have to be some singular story, but having several that are half-cocked isn’t the way to go either.

As I read, I could see why this version of the script didn’t go into production. At 226 pages, it meanders too often, and carries with it other problems that I think could have been fixed in a second or third draft, while still maintaining the mood and ideas intact, creating what may have been a really strong finished product! I can see why a filmmaker like Michael Mann was intially drawn to it - just consider quietly intense films like Heat, The Insider, and Collateral, films he directed, and in 2 cases, wrote the screenplays for. Tonight, He Comes, even in its 1996 form, is right up his alley. Although, that version wouldn’t have seen the light of day. For a summer superhero movie, it’ll have been considered too profound – too philosophical/not enough action – essentially a superhero movie that’s missing one key ingredient: the superhero being superheroic. The comedic tone of Will Smith’s Hancock is likely closer to what the studio execs preferred, which is ultimately what we got, unfortunately. Although I'd like to think that a happy medium exists somewhere between both extremes.

However, in closing, if I had to choose between Hancock in 2008 and Tonight, He Comes in 1996, without hesitation, I'd choose Vincent Ngo's original script! Despite being 12 years old, it's a much more superior and ambitious package than what Sony has given us.

I hear that there might be a sequel to Hancock, if it performs well financially - especially after this opening weekend. Tomorrow's numbers will tell...

'Hancock' And Its "Iffy Racial Subtexts"

Posted on 9:06 PM No Comments
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Ok... I know... I'm overloading you with all my Hancock posts. What can I say, it's the topic du jour, and stars the biggest box office draw of this century, who, by the way, happens to be black!

Don't worry, the noise will eventually fade out. But based on the outrageously high number of hits that this blog has received in the last 2 weeks, since I posted the spoiler review - 90% of them from Google searches for the film or various amalgamations of terms and phrases including the film's title - it's clear that Hancock mania has taking over the world, and probably won't start to die out until The Dark Knight's release date arrives!

I found this conversation between two WIRED Magazine writers, discussing the film and its merits. What caught my eye instantly was this sentence: "... this movie could be read as a white power fantasy about the successful containment of black masculinity."

Of course I had to read on, so I did. And you can too, by simply clicking here -> WIRED On Hancock.

Original 'Hancock' Screenplay!

Posted on 12:15 PM comments (7)
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You can read my thorough analysis of the script here: TONIGHT, HE COMES SCRIPT REVIEW. I actually liked the script more than I did the movie.

Thanks to Sergio for the heads up on this!

What we've got here is the original 126-page script for Hancock, initially titled, Tonight, He Comes.

The film in its release form is roughly 90 minutes long. The original Vincent Ngo-written script is 126 pages. For those of you who went to film school, or know a few things about the relationship between the written word and the visual image, you'd immediately notice the discrepancy here! In short, one industry standard page of a screenplay is equivalent to 1 minute of screen time. Obviously that formular isn't entirely exact, but if you compared most completed films with their screenplays, you'd notice that, for example, a 90-page screenplay will almost always produce a 90-minute film, or thereabouts.

In Hancock's case, we've got a 126-page screenplay, but ended up with a 90-minute film, which immediately indicates that a solid 30+ minutes was gutted somewhere in the production process, and I am certainly interested in knowing what that 30-minutes contained!

Skimming the pages of the script, I immediately noticed several differences from the film I saw - notably the use of profanity. As we already know, Sony wanted to deliver a PG13-rated movie, not an R-rated rump, hence all the reshooting we heard about (You can read my post on that HERE, in which director Peter Berg was quoted as saying about a previous incarnation of the film, "Hancock has remained surprisingly sexual, violent and true in spirit to an original script that was viewed as brilliant but unmakable.").

This should be an interesting read. I plan on going through the entire script this weekend, and I'll post my thoughts on it afterwards, making comparisons between what was written and what was filmed.

Courtesy of Hollywood Elsewhere, here's a link to the PDF script (get it while it's hot): TONIGHT, HE COMES.

9 Ways Hancock Could Have Been A Better Movie

Posted on 12:11 PM comments (2)
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Found this over at io9.com. I couldn't have said it all any better myself.

Read on...

9 Ways Hancock Could Have Been A Pretty Good Movie (or ways Hancock could have sucked considerably less)

Here's number 9 on the list:

#9 - Decide what kind of movie you're making: And here's really the crux of what went wrong with Hancock. Is it a crazy outrageous comedy about a shitty superhero? Then fucking go for it, and show us how crazy you can get. Is it an understated Jason Bateman comedy about a P.R. exec who tries to work with a superhero to improve his image? That actually could have been a great film, if the whole movie was about that. Is it an exploration of why Hancock is such a dick? Or is it a tragic love story of two immortal and nice-looking people who can never be together? (If so, then no thanks.) If Hancock had picked one movie to be, it might have managed to be pretty okay. Instead, it's a mash-up of five really bad movies.

See the remaining 8 on the list HERE.

So... I Saw 'Hancock' Last Night...

Posted on 9:30 AM comments (2)
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URGGGGHHHH!!!

No, that wasn't necessarily a sign of loathing, but rather one of disappointment.

I'll keep this as short and sweet as I can.

The filmmakers had the opportunity here to do something relatively refreshing. They started the race off on the right footing, with surprising bursts of energy, but then tripped all over themselves with about 40 minutes left until the finish line. Sigh...

I'd much rather have been underwhelmed from the start than to have my intrigue build for half of it, only to see it quickly tumble during the other half.

So, yes, this was rather disappointing and I think it will go down as one of Will Smith's glorious failures, much like Wild Wild West, which actually did make money, but left a lot of fans and critics wanting. Even Will Smith himself was quoted as saying that Wild Wild West was one film of his that he felt was a failure.

Make Hancock number 2. However, I'd say that this is one failure that a lot of other actors would probably like to have.

I suppose there's a compliment or two in there somewhere.

Will Smith was Will Smith. I certainly wouldn't call the role a complex one - although the character really could have been much more challenging and thus interesting with a few script changes. But we get Big Willie as Big Willie in a summer spectacle. Nothing more nor less. It doesn't always work, but I've come to expect only so much out of Will Smith's performances, so I wasn't entirely disappointed.

The rest of the cast (Charlize Theron and Jason Bateman) are watchable, although Charlize sometimes looked a little lost in her role - at times it felt like she was in a different movie altogether.

The direction was often uneven and questionable. I wasn't sure what director Peter Berg was hoping to evoke with all those shaky-cam movements, extreme close-ups, zooming in and out, and other camera gimmicks he utilized that just seemed really innapropriate for the material. I felt like I was watching Traffic, or NYPD Blue. I think every film he's directed has been shot in this similar handheld camera style. None of it worked here.

The film just isn't quite sure what it wants to be, especially in the second half, where it shifts sharply between several genres, moods and tones, often leaving me baffled, or throwing my hands up in the air in frustration at some of the illogical choices that were made. It just simply self-destructs during the last 30 to 40 minutes, after the big reveal that actually isn't that surprising since you could probably figure it out long before it happens, even if you hadn't read it previously on this blog. Berg needs a lesson in subtlety.

It's clear to me that the production team just wasn't sure what to do with that last act, which felt like a mosh pit of nonsensical sequences scrapped together in a hurry. And at just around 90 minutes in length, I couldn't help but think that there was probably a lot more to the initial script than the version they decided to give us, which is rather unfortunate, because, what we're fed is more of the same kind of triteness that insults the audience. I remember thinking just how gullible and foolish they must think the audience is - let's just throw in a bunch of loud, chaotic sequences, forget logic, forget reason, forget every interesting idea we developed in the first half and instead just go with lots of booms and bams, intercut with some overly sentimental scenes, and of course, Big Willie-isms, and then tie it all up with a ridiculous ending. No thanks! I didn't buy it!

However, apparently, others certainly did, making the assumptions of the producers unfortunately correct, because at the end of the film, the packed theatre my friend and I saw it in errupted in applause!!!!! We looked at each other and could only shrug and simply agreed that they must have seen a different movie than we did.

But, of course! It's Will Smith. He's in the fluke zone as Variety's Anne Thompson wrote recently - meaning, he can do no wrong... audiences will love him no matter what. He can video-tape himself sitting on a toilet for 2 hours, and crowds will still show up to pay to watch him. Despite all the negative reviews that it's received and will likely continue to receive, the audience applause that followed last night's screening is a clear indication of how well the film will do financially. He's in the fluke zone. How long can he stay there? Who knows. But he'd better not get too comfortable.

Bleh...

So, yes... disappointing. Lots of potential for something that could have been great, but they blew it! Starts of fairly well... falls apart in the end.

I'd give it 2 out of 5 stars.

Tonight's The Night!

Posted on 7:58 AM comments (2)
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My ticket is already paid for, and I'm ready to consume and digest!
After so much noise within the blogosphere about the film - the mostly negative reviews (some spoiler-filled), the revelation of the big plot twist half-way through the film, etc - I'm finally going to get my chance to witness Hancock with my own two eyes!

There are a handful of night-time screenings of the film in New York City today, and a friend of mine bought tickets for a 7PM showing, which, of course is where I'll be around that time.

Once I get home after the screening, provided I don't get distracted, I'll post my thoughts here.

After so much coverage of Hancock, I already know what to expect from the screening, so there probably won't be many surprises. However, hearing/reading about a film isn't quite the same experience as watching it firsthand! I'm still excited to take it all in myself!

Will Smith's Says Chill Because His New School Is Not Scientologist

Posted on 10:04 PM No Comments
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Incase anyone is wondering... Will Smith insists that the school he and Jada are opening is not Scientologist. I suppose his close affiliation with the likes of Tom Cruise helped cement all the rumors that have been circulating for some time now. I actually forgot about the entire project. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, catch up HERE first and then continue reading on below.

From Yahoo Movies:

Will Smith's soon-to-open private school is not a Scientology facility, as some reports have suggested, the academy's director said.

Smith and his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, have founded the New Village Academy, scheduled to open in September.

The school will use instructional methods developed by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard called study technology. And a few teachers belong to the church.

But the couple say they are not Scientologists, and the academy's director insists the facility has no religious affiliation.

"We are a secular school, and just like all nonreligious independent schools, faculty and staff do not promote their own religions at school or pass on the beliefs of their particular faith to children," New Village Academy director Jacqueline Olivier told the Los Angeles Times.

Oliver said some of the school's staffers are Scientologists, Muslim, Christian or Jewish.

In addition to reading and math, the school offers classes on yoga, robotics and etiquette.

Celebrity Life, Big Willie Style - It Ain't All Gravy?

Posted on 9:24 AM No Comments
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Ahhh... celebrity life! Borrowing from mobster Johnny Caspar in the Coen Brothers' classic Miller's Crossing, after he discovers just how hard it is to be top dog, “runnin' things... it ain’t all gravy!”

Or maybe a more familiar phrase inline with the sentiment would be, "more money... more problems?" Not quite, but I'm sure you catch my drift.

But who's complaining anyway? I'd trade lives with Will Smith any day, even if it's for one day, to experience what it's like to live the life... the celebrity life, or more specifically, HIS celebrity life.

All this came about as I was scouting YouTube looking for something humorous to post on this blog as part of my usual "Friday Funnies" series, and I stumbled upon several clips of Mr Smith going through one Hancock premiere after another, each one in a different city, all within a span of about 5 days. And each time, he looked just as euphoric with the myriad of anxious fans, as he did in the previous city's premiere, even if it was just the night before, several hundred, if not thousands of miles away. He stops to sign autographs, shakes hands, honors kiss requests, and even dances with a band, all-the-while maintaining his signature Big Willie smile, seemingly thoroughly and gladly drowning himself in each moment!

First he's in Paris, then a few days later, he's in London, and the following night he's in Moscow, and so on, and so forth, maintaining his intensity each time, leading up until the US premiere next week, where you can guarantee he'll be present, Big Willie style, as usual, as adoring fans clamor for a mere sighting or touch of Hollywood's biggest star.

But the magic doesn't end there - from now through September, Hancock premieres will follow in other European as well Asian territories, and Big Willie will likely walk the red carpet at each locale, flashing that smile, satisfying old fans, and winning new ones over with what feels like an unpretentious charm.

Is it any wonder that he's the biggest star, not only in America, but in the world? One can attribute his popularity partly to the fact that he is also one of the hardest working celebrities today. Making the film is half the job. Promoting it is just as important, and Will certainly doesn't take that phase of the process lightly. He's smart enough to know that not only is he promoting the movie, but he's also promoting himself, which will help when his next film begins its release schedule, whenever that will be.

Despite the relentless, unwavering smiles and charm, it can't all be fun, can it? I think I'd get tired of the press junkets, the cameras, the people, the fans, the pomp and circumstance. It'll start to wear me down after awhile - not to mention the frequent trips, jet lag, etc... London one night, Moscow the next, New York the next, L.A. the next, and so on, and so forth... and I can't forget about family left behind! There's a reason why Will's approach to celebrity isn't a popular one amongst the general celebrity population. It's work! It's well paid work, but it's still work. And he's definitely enjoying the fruits of his "hard labor."

As I started out saying, maybe "it ain't all gravy" all the time. However, I also said that I would trade places with him, even if it's for a day, and experience the thrill of being Will, the world's biggest star!

Here's a video clip of him in Moscow, during the premiere of Hancock, last week, in all his Big Willie style glory. A search on YouTube will reveal other similar moments in other cities, all within a few days of each other:

Official Variety Magazine 'Hancock' Review!

Posted on 7:33 PM No Comments
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This came in a little earlier than expected. I guess we can call it the first "official" review of Hancock.

Thanks to Sergio for the email heads-up!

Based on what the reviewer states below, the blog entry I posted about the film last week - the one with the spoilers - isn't too far off in accuracy and perspective. Also, this review agrees with the overwhelmingly negative sentiment amongst those who've already seen the film in some form.

Despite all of that, I still think the film will do well - or at the very least, it'll have a strong opening weekend. What it does after that depends greatly on word of mouth, because it will face some stiff competition in the weeks after its release from the likes of the next Batman movie and a few other notables. So, its opening weekend will be crucial.

Will it make its budget back? Probably! At an incredible $150 Million, it'll be a tall order, even for Will Smith. With marketing costs included, that number will likely be closer to $200 Million. But one thing Will has going for him is his popularity in foreign markets. So, even if the film flops in the States, it could do very well internationally.

Here's Variety's review by Todd McCarthy:

An intriguing high concept is undermined by low-grade dramaturgy in “Hancock.” This misguided attempt to wring a novel twist on the superhero genre has a certain whiff of “The Last Action Hero” about it, with Will Smith playing an indestructible crime-buster in a pointedly real-world context. Although it will inevitably open very large, this odd and perplexing aspiring tentpole will provide a real test of Smith’s box office invincibility.

The central idea of Vy Vincent Ngo and Vince Gilligan’s script -- of Smith’s John Hancock being an ornery, unwilling hero who escapes from his ordained role in life via booze and general cantankerousness -- is amusing and plausible enough to sustain the first section of the film. What the writers and director Peter Berg do with the concept in the end, however, is nowhere near sufficiently thought out, and narrative illogic and missed opportunities plague the film increasingly as it cartwheels through its surprisingly brief running time.

When the world-famous Hancock reluctantly swings into action -- he can fly at supersonic speed, lift any weight and is impervious to all weapons -- his drunken recklessness invariably causes more damage than it’s worth.

Although valuable to the police, Hancock has a bad name with the public for his destructiveness, impudence and all-around bad attitude; an adjunct to this is his foul language, which treads the very edge of PG-13 permissiveness and will no doubt catch many July 4 weekend kid-herding parents unhappily unaware.

As much in need of rehab as this week’s tabloid celebrity, the raggedly attired Hancock finds an eager savior in PR whiz Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman). Rescued from certain death by the rasty hero, Ray returns the favor by inviting him to dinner with wife Mary (Charlize Theron) and son Aaron (Jae Head) and announcing he’s going to remake Hancock’s image.

The strongman’s first step will be to submit to rehab and anger-management training, along with some prison time (although Hancock resists wearing an actual superhero outfit because it’s too “homo”). What he shortly does to two tough-talking inmates in the pen crudely literalizes the taunt about sticking your head where the sun don’t shine. Such vulgar goofiness is one thing in an Adam Sandler film, but doesn’t sit well in the rough-and-ready realism of Berg’s raw visuals, which grievously misapply hand-held jitteriness to material that demands more precise stylization.

The genre satire and numerous Will Smith moments, with the star throwing off the attitude-laden quips and looks audiences expect from him, carry the first half without too much trouble, in anticipation of where the film will go from there. Where it goes, unfortunately, is right down the tubes!

Read it all HERE.

Will Smith Wants To Be A Bollywood Star

Posted on 7:54 PM comments (3)
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An addendum to my 2 earlier Bollywood posts today... I just came across this on Australia's TheWest.com.au website:

Hancock actor Will Smith who has made his name by landing lead roles in a series of big blockbuster action movies – thinks it is time to try his hand at a different genre.

He said: “I’ve made a couple of speculative deals in India. We’ve got some "Bolly-Will" movies going on!”

Will also dismissed claims he is planning to make a follow-up to his hit movies ‘Bad Boys’ and Bad Boys 2... “I probably won’t do that. There have been pitches, and the concept is genius for Bad Boys 3 but I’ve moved on now.”

It was recently reported Will had begged director Michael Bay to let him reprise his role for a third time because his son is such a big fan of the movies.

More HERE.

Ya know, unlike Stallone and Schwarzenegger, I can actually see Will full on in a Bollywood movie, singing and dancing and everything :o)

Tom Cruise’s Son To Play Young Will Smith

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Keeping it all in the family, I guess...

From Reuters:

Tom Cruise’s 13-year-old son Connor is set to follow in his father’s footsteps, making his film debut in the upcoming Will Smith drama Seven Pounds, People magazine reported on Tuesday.

Connor, adopted by Cruise and his former wife, Australian actress Nicole Kidman, will play a young version of Smith. Despite his pedigree, he had to audition for the Columbia Pictures project, People said. “Tom is so proud of Connor,” the magazine quoted a source as saying. “He’s proud of him for really doing this on his own.” (yeah, right)

The movie, which is still in production, co-stars Rosario Dawson and is directed by The Pursuit of Happyness filmmaker Gabriele Muccino. The drama follows the story of a man who affects the lives of seven strangers.

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Another Will Smith Post! I know... I know... It's Not A Bad One Though!

Posted on 1:58 PM comments (2)
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Will Smith's definitely got himself a busy schedule. He has been the focus of several posts on this blog over the last couple of weeks. He's got Hancock with Charlize Theron coming up later this year; then there's Steven Spielberg's film about the Chicago Seven in which he plays Black Panther leader, Bobby Seales, due out later this year, or early next year; and now he's starring in a film called Seven Pounds, which is said to begin shooting this month, so we can expect a late 2008, early 2009 release. Looks like we'll be seeing a lot of Mr Smith over the next 12 to 24 months. Must be nice to be working consistently.

The Hollywood Report announced that Mr Smith handpicked Michael Ealy (Sleeper Cell) to play his younger brother in the upcoming film, Seven Pounds. The film re-unites The Pursuit of Happyness director Gabriele Muccino with his star Will Smith in another drama. The story is about "a suicidal IRS agent (Smith) who sets out to make amends by assuming the identity of his younger brother. His plans get complicated when he inadvertently falls in love" with a character played by Rosario Dawson, marking another reunion for Will Smith, since Dawson co-starred with him in Men in Black. Woody Harrelson is also starring.

Ealy has just finished work on Spike Lee's WWII drama, Miracle at St. Anna's, about a group of African-American soldiers who are trapped in Tuscany during a Nazi massacre. I'm mos def looking forward to seeing that this year.

Will Smith - From Bobby Seale To MILFs

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Will Smith will be working with Steven Spielberg for the first time in either of their careers, for a period piece on the trial of the infamous Chicago Seven. Mr Smith will play Black Panther leader, Bobby Seale, who was one of the original eight defendants, indicted by a grand jury, in 1969, for their involvement in violent protests that took place in Chicago, Illinois, during the 1968 Democratic National Convention.

Early in the trial, Bobby Seale hurled attacks at the Judge, in court, for refusing his requests to postpone the trial, so that his own attorney could represent him. When Seale refused to be silenced, the judge ordered Seale bound and gagged in the courtroom, ultimately severing Seale from the case. He was later sentenced to four years in prison for contempt.

The Chicago Eight then became the Chicago Seven.

If you’ve seen/heard Bobby Seale give one of his many inspiring speeches, you have to wonder if this is something Mr Smith can pull off convincingly. The last time he played a real-life, boisterous, vociferous, A-Type, his performance left me wishing someone else had played the role... but I'm hopeful. With Spielberg at the helm, I expect mostly good things, as he'll be surrounded by a fairly strong cast that includes Philip Seymour Hoffman, Kevin Spacey, and Jeff Daniels.

And along with that bit of good news, I'll share some not-so good news. Will Smith will be flexing his behind-the-camera skills as producer (along with his wife) of an upcoming 2008 television show on the CW network called M.I.L.F. And Cookies! Yes, that's right, M.I.L.F. And Cookies - a 30-minute sitcom about young, sexy single moms living in a luxury apartment community, who "realize that they need each other in order to raise their kids and have social lives." I'm sure we all know what the acronym stands for by now :o)

Also, check out the ongoing discussion on Mr Smith in THIS previous posting below.

Episode 29 - The Obenson Report on Black Film / Cinema

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Episode 29 - The Obenson Report on Black Film / Cinema
Sponsored in part by ActNow Foundation

Recorded Monday, December 17, 2007, 9PM
TRT 60 Minutes

TOPICS DISCUSSED:
- Remembering St Clair Bourne, dead at age 64.
- Golden Globe Nominees announced.
- Lots of listener phone calls on various topics: DIRTY LAUNDRY, Will Smith (I AM LEGEND), supporting R. Kelly(?), SINGLE HILLS takes love back to Brooklyn, and black Hollywood box office receipts for films like I AM LEGEND (do they matter?).

Got something to say? Call the show's voicemail hotline at 1-800-765-7249 and leave a message there; and if it's worthwhile, I'll play your message on the show.

OR, email me you comments at talk@obensonreport.com; or go to http://www.obensonreport.com/ and leave your comments.

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