Will Smith quits role in Sugar Bandits, to continue as producer

Will Smith in Sugar Bandits

Will Smith has reportedly quit his role in the new action movie, Sugar Bandits. The film, from director Stefano Sollima, focuses on a former Special Forces soldier who joins a vigilante squad in an effort to wipe out the drug trade in Boston.

As per reports in Deadline, Smith left the project as its lead star due to scheduling conflicts, but will remain on board as a producer through his production company. Sugar Bandits was set to start filming in the next few months in Montreal, though plans had remained on hold due to uncertainty over whether Smith would still star in it.

The unit apparently plans to recast the role with the intention of starting filming next year - though there is uncertainty about the movie's future altogether. Smith recently starred in Bad Boys: Ride or Die, which became a box-office success upon its release in June and has taken over $400 million globally. Speaking about a potential follow-up movie, the Oscar winner told Entertainment Weekly earlier this year: "Well, these younger actors are going to need to do more of the stunts, that's for sure. It is a world and characters that are just an absolute joy to be with."

He admitted that he likes to do sequels if "there is something to say" and characters are developed in a way that "will be interesting and fun to watch and maybe even a little helpful". Meanwhile, Smith was recently confirmed to be starring in sci-fi thriller Resistor, which will see him team up with studio Sony once again.

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