Summary

Will Smith ’s new sci - fi movieResistorhas the chance to end one of the actor ’s most have-to doe with life history trend by in the end pay him another collision in the genre . ahead of time in his smash hit career , the sci - fi genre seemed to be one of Will Smith ’s strong courting . While the role player first rise to prominence with roles inSix arcdegree of Separation , Bad Boys , andThe Fresh Prince of Bel Air , it was 1996 and 1997 ’s one - two punch ofIndependence DayandMen In Blackthat cement his superstar condition . Since then , sci - fi has been 2d only toWill Smith ’s activity movies .

Most of Smith ’s most successful sci - fi movies blended the literary genre with action , from 2004’sI , Robotto 2007’sI Am Legend . In contrast , Smith ’s raid into fancy , likeWinter ’s TaleandCollateral Beauty , experience a more mixed reception . This explains whythe sequelI Am Legend 2is one of Smith ’s most exciting upcoming projection , although the original post - apocalyptical megahit is as much a horror movie and an action at law movie as it is a sci - fi story . Smith ’s recent sci - fi picture show have n’t get along as well as his former entries into the genre did with consultation and critic .

Will Smith and Steven Spielberg have tried extremely concentrated to make a movie together , but for various reasons , not one of their task has exercise out .

Will Smith in Bad Boys and Stephen Spielberg

What Is Will Smith’s New Sci-Fi Movie?

Resistor Is Based On Daniel Suarez’s 2014 Sci-Fi Novel Influx

Resistor ’s script comes from screenwriters who worked onBullet TrainandTop Gun : Maverick , think of the project boasts mass of blockbuster potential .

Despite this inconvenient fact , Will Smith will return to the existence of sci - fi with his upcoming movieResistor . Resistoris free-base on Daniel Suarez ’s 2014 novelInflux , which follow the story of a corpuscle physicist whose gravitation - reflecting twist earns the ire of the Bureau of Technology Control . A group committed to curb technological innovation for reverence that it will cause a social revolution , the Bureau of Technology Control attempts to incarcerate the novel ’s hero in its thrilling dystopian account . Resistor ’s handwriting comes from screenwriters who worked onBullet TrainandTop Gun : Maverick , think the project boasts plenty of blockbuster potential .

Thoughall threeMen In Blackmovieswere box agency successes , Resistorsounds like a take to more ego - serious sci - fi for Smith . The movie ’s premise vociferation to mindI , Robot , with its knotty secret and wispy corporate villains . alas , that is not the only Smith undertaking thatResistorresembles . theatre director And Lee’sGemini Manalso encounter Smith play a beleaguered antihero who was unfairly targeted by a shady company with a obscure mystery , but this 2019 flop was n’t well received by critics or audiences . Instead , Gemini Manwas the late in a string of sci - fi unsuccessful person for the actor .

Josh Hartnett looking shocked in Fight or Flight

Will Smith’s Last 3 Sci-Fi Movies Haven’t Worked

After Earth, Bright, and Gemini Man All Failed To Resonate

Whether looker label them by their vital reception , their commercial-grade performance , or a combination of the two , there is no denying thatWill Smith ’s pick of sci - fi movies has n’t seen him succeed sinceI Am Legend(or arguably evenI , Robot ) . IfI Am Legend ’s Richard Matheson adjustment is see a sci - fi movie , then its miscellaneous review are more than ameliorated by its monolithic box office success . However , since then , Smith ’s last three sci - fi movies have undeniably been failure . 2013’sAfter Earthwas derided by critic , making many end - of - year lists despite competition fromThe Lone Ranger .

Smith ’s selection of sci - fi movies has grown increasingly worse with all three being poorly reviewed , Brightonly being a success on streaming , andGemini Manfailing on every front .

Although Netflix ’s expensive action fantasyBrightwas democratic with viewers , it was similarly hated by critics and never spawned its promised sequels . Meanwhile , Gemini Manwas both a box office bomb and comfortablydirector Ang Lee ’s worst movie ever . Smith ’s recent sci - fi moving-picture show have all fared poorly , with all three being badly review , Brightonly being a success on cyclosis , andGemini Manfailing on every front .

A collage image of Luke Skywalker in A New Hope

Will Smith Used To Be The King Of Sci-Fi Movies

Independence Day and Men In Black Made Smith A Star

Men In Black IIdid true clamber with critics , but it remained a massive hitting and proved that Smith could still produce crowd - pleasing sci - fi efforts while at the same time star in award - winning dramas likeAli .

AlthoughBad Boyswas a big success in 1995 , it was also a gritty R - rated natural process movie . In contrast , it is tough to overstate just how instrumentalIndependence DayandMen In Blackwere to Smith ’s blockbuster achiever . human being In Blackgave Smith his first massive franchise and , even now , theBad Boysseries ca n’t erupt its boxful - bureau platter . Meanwhile , Independence Daywas the first major test of Smith ’s lead valet de chambre potential . Director Roland Emmerich ’s foreign encroachment disaster movie even hedged its bets by pair the actor with the more experient Jef Goldblum , but Smith ’s charisma made him its jailbreak star .

Men In Black IIdid admittedly struggle with critics , but it remained a massive collision and proved that Smith could still farm bunch - pleasing sci - fi efforts while at the same time star in award - succeed drama likeAli . likewise , I , Robotwas a huge hit whose mediocre reviews could n’t dim Smith ’s genius mogul . I Am Legend ’s divergence from Matheson ’s reservoir novel earned some criticism , but the motion picture was well receive , and its fiscal success speaks for itself . AlthoughWild Wild Westwas undeniably a major outlier , the fact that the ambitious sci - fi Western undertake to blend the two genre accounts for its failure among Smith ’s successes .

Will-Smith–Mike-Lowrey-from-Bad-Boys–Ride-or-Die-(2024)-Poster-Bad-Boys–Ride-or-Die-(2024)

Custom image by Yailin Chacon

Can Will Smith Reclaim His Sci-Fi Crown?

Resistor Could Be The Start Of Something Big For Smith

WhileI Am Legend 2 ’s sequel storyis Smith ’s most exciting upcoming project , Resistorproves that the actor is n’t loth to taking risks and revisiting a musical genre that has n’t been kind to him recently . Will Smith ’s ill-famed Oscars slap cost him a set of consultation goodwill , but the box office success ofBad Boys : Ride or Dieseemingly proves that this backlash has begun to die down . As such , Resistormight be just what the actor postulate to re - prove himself as the queen of the genre . This relies on a few factors align in the star ’s favour .

IfI Am Legend 2can repeat the original movie ’s box office success , this will likely increase interest group inResistor . It will be tough forResistorto avoid finger like an too familiar dystopian sci - fi story , so Smith ’s star power will be primal to sell the movie . Now thatBad son : Ride or Diehas proven Smith remain a multiplex draw , I Am Legend 2can prompt viewer of his diachronic art in the sci - fi literary genre . If this work , thenWill Smith’sResistormay go on to become the moving picture that recover him the title of cinematic sci - fi ’s reign king .

Will Smith as Mike Lowrey holding a gun next to a closeup of Mike in Bad Boys Ride or Die

Will Smith as Robert who is sitting on the road while Samantha is standing next to him in I Am Legend.

Bad Boys Ride or Die Movie Poster

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