Although Will Smith was said to be attached to the project earlier this year, Deadline is reporting that Will Smith has departed Universal and Legendary Pictures’ upcoming adaptation of Marcus Sakey’s sci-fi/superhero novel Brilliance. Boasting a screenplay by David Koepp and set to feature Julius Onah in the director’s chair, Brilliance is officially described as follows:
In Wyoming, a little girl reads people’s darkest secrets by the way they fold their arms. In New York, a man sensing patterns in the stock market racks up $300 billion. In Chicago, a woman can go invisible by being where no one is looking. They’re called “brilliants,” and since 1980, one percent of people have been born this way. Nick Cooper is among them; a federal agent, Cooper has gifts rendering him exceptional at hunting terrorists. His latest target may be the most dangerous man alive, a brilliant drenched in blood and intent on provoking civil war. But to catch him, Cooper will have to violate everything he believes in—and betray his own kind.
Earlier this month, it was reported that Noomi Rapace was also eyeing a leading role. It remains to be seen what effect Smith’s departure will have on the project’s overall momentum.
Producers on Brilliance include Jon Jashni, Joe Roth and Thomas Tul with Alex Hedlund, Eric McLeod and Palek Patel executive producing.
