Will Smith signs first-look deal with Paramount

Will Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s entertainment company Westbrook has signed a first-look deal with Paramount to create new theatrical films.

Will, 56, has been largely frozen out of Hollywood since his infamous Oscars night assault on Chris Rock, but is now expected to star in projects developed under the partnership, while Jada, 53, is set to take on producing roles, according to Variety.

In a statement announcing the agreement, Paramount said Westbrook would concentrate on “global, four-quadrant theatrical movies” with franchise potential, many of them based on pre-existing intellectual properties.

Paramount confirmed two films are already in development – Sugar Bandits, a thriller adapted from Chuck Hogan’s novel Devils in Exile, and Rabbit Hole, written by Jon Spaihts, one of the credited screenwriters of the Dune films.

Under the deal, Westbrook will be headquartered on the Paramount lot in Hollywood.

The move comes as Paramount continues an aggressive expansion strategy following its $8 billion merger with Skydance.

Recent deals include bringing Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer over from Netflix and securing rights to Ultimate Fighting Championship events in a $7.7 billion agreement lasting seven years.

Westbrook has previously produced several high-profile titles.

Emancipation starred Will in 2022, while Bad Boys: Ride or Die became a commercial success in 2024 despite the controversy surrounding him.

King Richard, released in 2021, won Will an Academy Award for best actor.

That night was overshadowed by his onstage assault of comedian Chris Rock during the Oscars ceremony, after Chris made a joke about Jada’s buzzcut.

Will later issued multiple public apologies for the incident.

In 2022, Westbrook sold a minority stake to Candle Media, the venture led by former Disney executives Tom Staggs and Kevin Mayer.

Even before the Skydance merger, Paramount had secured first-look deals with several notable figures, including Transformers producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Sonic the Hedgehog producer Neal H. Moritz, Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan, A Quiet Place filmmaker John Krasinski, and Ryan Reynolds.

Will rose to fame playing a rebellious teen in hit sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air before then becoming a global film star with box office smashes including Men in Black, Independence Day and Ali.