Will Smith has signed on to star in the action-thriller Supermax, a film from director David Gordon Green that follows two FBI agents investigating a murder inside the world’s most secure prison. Amazon MGM Studios has secured worldwide rights to the Miramax project in a deal said to be in the $70M range.
The move gives Amazon an early lock on a project that was close to heading toward the Cannes market. It also marks Smith’s first non-franchise studio film in recent years, with the company viewing the package as both a strong title and a vote of confidence in the actor.
A prison-set thriller with FBI stakes
Supermax centers on a murder investigation set inside a high-security prison, with Smith playing one of the FBI agents involved. The other agent is a female role, and additional casting is still underway.
Production is set to begin mid-August, though the full ensemble has not yet been announced. The film is written by David Weil and David J. Rosen, whose credits include the series Hunters and Invasion.
Amazon moves early for worldwide rights
Amazon MGM Studios closed the worldwide rights deal before the project could reach Cannes. The studio’s decision suggests it saw value in securing the movie quickly, especially with Smith attached and Green directing.
The film is expected to be a streaming release rather than a theatrical one. Miramax remains part of the package, with CAA Media Finance brokering the deal.
Smith’s box office case remains strong
The project arrives after the commercial performance of Bad Boys: Ride or Die, which was Smith’s only film in the past four years and came two years after the Oscar slap incident. The studio appears to have taken note of that result as it backed Supermax.
The reference point is Smith’s long track record as a leading man in non-franchise films. The source notes that his domestic average across his career is north of $120M, a figure that helps explain why a studio would move quickly on a fresh action vehicle for him.
Green steps into his biggest-budget film
For Green, Supermax becomes the largest-budget movie of his directing career. He has built strong momentum in genre filmmaking, including several entries in the Halloween franchise.
Green most recently directed the Amazon TV series Scarpetta, and Supermax reunites him with Rosen, who created Apple TV’s Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed. Green directed and executive-produced that series.
Behind the scenes on the project
The film is produced by Andrew Rona and Alex Heineman for The Picture Company, along with Smith and Adam Fishbach for Westbrook. Weil and Rosen are also executive-producing, alongside associate producer Natalie Laine Williams.
Miramax CEO Jonathan Glickman, President of Film Alexandra Loewy, COO Thom Zadra, and SVP Spencer Ela are attached as executive producers. The project also connects to several other current titles involving the same creative and production circles, including The Picture Company’s work on other action and thriller films across studios and streamers.
Smith is represented by CAA, Westbrook, and Sloane Offer, while Amazon’s early acquisition positions Supermax as one of the studio’s notable upcoming streaming plays.