Will Smith taking on 1959 ‘Flowers for Algernon.’
Nov 12th, 2009 by Bilal Ali
Will Smith has reportedly signed on to star in and produce an adaptation of Daniel Keyes’ classic 1959 novel “Flowers for Algernon” for his own Sony-based Overbrook Entertainment production company, reports Pajiba. Â
The story centers on a mentally disabled man who is the first to undergo a surgery that is said to raise intelligence. While the operation is successful, and his IQ raises from 68 to 185, the side effects include social setbacks where he feels ostracized from society.
No writer or director has yet been set though Gabriele Muccino (”The Pursuit of Happyness,” “Seven Pounds”) has been mentioned.
Cliff Robertson won an Oscar for starring in the previous film adaptation “Charly” in 1968.
In other Will Smith news, his planned remake of Chan-wook Park’s acclaimed cult revenge thriller “Oldboy” with Steven Spielberg has been scrapped.
According to Latino Review, DreamWorks and Mandate were in the process of obtaining the rights to the original Japanese manga on which the film was going to be based. However the companies couldn’t come to an agreement and DreamWorks has walked away. And as a result, so did Smith and Spielberg.