Will Smith agrees to play father-figure to Venus and Serena Williams

Popular American multiple award winning actor and rapper, Will Smith, 50, has signed off to play the role of Richard Williams, the father of tennis legends Serena and Venus Williams, in the movie “King Richard.”

The 50 year old actor said that he is passionate about the film and hopes it could come together quickly.

The movie talks about how Williams coached his two daughters on tennis when they were four years old, despite not having a background on the game.

Mr. Williams managed to raise the two Williams sisters into instantly recognisable global sporting icons after taking tennis lessons from a man named “Old Whiskey” and after seeing Virginia Ruzca win a tournament in Salt Lake City in 1980.

To achieve his goal, Richard famously wrote a 78 page training programme to guide his daughters to success.

To date, Serena has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, starting with the US Open in 1999. Venus has seven Grand Slam singles, starting with Wimbledon in 2000. Together the sisters share 30 Grand Slam singles titles.

The sisters also have a combined 14 Grand Slam doubles championships.

Tim and Trevor White will produce the movie under their Star Thrower Entertainment banner, which has backed “The Post,” “Wind River,” and “Ingrid Goes West,” Smith would also produce under his Overbrook Entertainment company.

The executive producers include Allan Mandelbaum from Star Thrower Entertainment and Caleeb Pinkett from Overbrook Entertainment. The co-producers include Mary Solomon and Rick Rickertsen.

But it’s yet unknown if the Williams sisters will be involved in the project.

Smith was called the “Most powerful actor in Hollywood in April 2007 by Newsweek and was nominated for five Golden Globe Awards and two Academy Awards, and has won four Grammy Awards.

He is the only actor to have eight consecutive films gross over $100 million in the domestic box office, 11 consecutive films gross over $150 million internationally.

Eight consecutive films in which he starred open at the number one spot in the domestic box office tally.
Smith has been ranked as the most bankable star worldwide by Forbes.

As of 2014, 17 of the 21 films in which he has had leading roles have accumulated worldwide gross earnings of over $100 million each, with five taking in over $500 million each in global box office receipts.

Also as of 2016, his films grossed $7.5 billion at the global box office.

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Source: Daily Mail