Columbia Developing Pic For Will Smith

[fan 4ever]

Columbia Developing Pic For Will Smith, Rapper To Host AIDS Concert With Mandela

By Clover Hope

Date: 2/19/2005 10:00 am

Straight off the successful opening of his movie "Hitch," Columbia pictures is in negotiations to finance a new movie being developed for Will Smith titled "Tonight He Comes," a drama about a destitute superhero.

The movie is about a superhero that crash-lands in Sheepshead Bay, New York.

The main character drinks, smokes and has one-night stands to ease his unhappiness. The superhero protagonist gets a fresh viewpoint when he becomes attracted to a married woman.

Though "Tonight" has reportedly struggled to get going because of its bleak storyline, it has appealed to film executives for some time now as one of the best un-produced films.

Smith has yet-to-commit to the film.

Smith's recent success at the box office, especially during opening weekend, was further incentive to jumpstart production of the film. The Philadelphia native's weekend opening average of $34.2 million is more than any other actor, including Mike Myers and Jim Carrey.

Columbia hopes Jonathan Mostow, who is developing "Terminator 4," will direct the film. Akiva Goldsman and Michael Mann will produce.

Former "X-Files" writer and executive producer Vince Gilligan wrote the current adaptation of the original script, written by Vincent Ngo.

In related news, Smith is also set to host Nelson Mandela's "46664" AIDS awareness concert on March 16 in South Africa. The event, which is named after Mandela's prison ID number, features performances from India Arie, Annie Lennox, Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen.

The concert sheds light on disparaging statistics that place South African women and girls more than six times more likely than men to become infected with the AIDS virus, said Mandela.

South Africa's first black president, Mandela has fought for AIDS victims in Africa, where about 25 million of the world's 40 million HIV-infected people reside.

The former South African president's eldest son recently died of an AIDS-related illness.

source:ALLHIPHOP.COM