One of a handful of unrealized projects on Will Smith’s slate – a project that was first announced way back in 2009 – is apparently now finally moving forward.
Back then, Francis Lawrence (who previously directed Smith in I Am Legend) was attached to direct the film, titled The City That Sailed, which follows the director of Homeland Security in New York City (Smith), whose daughter (we assumed Willow Smith would likely play the part at the time, but maybe not anymore), because of family circumstances, lives in Spain with her mother. Apparently, mother and father are divorced. Wanting to reunite her father and mother, the little girl makes a wish that both will get back together, while holding a magical snow globe, causing the island of Manhattan to break away and sail across the ocean towards Spain.
Skip ahead 4 years later to today, to news that the fantastical drama, which has long been set up at Twentieth Century Fox, has attracted the directing talents of Shawn Levy, director of other special effects-heavy family-friendly fare like Real Steel and the Night At The Museum movies.
Will Smith is still very much on board to star in what is expected to be a summer tentpole movie which Smith and James Lassiter’s Overbrook Entertainment will produce.
Whether or not the story has changed dramatically since 2009, I can’t say. At the time, Andrew Niccol was the screenwriter. Today’s news lists Audrey Wells as writer.
Still no ETA however. So another 4 years just might pass.