Michael Bay is out of the director’s chair, and John Swab is in it for Netflix‘s upcoming actioner starring Will Smith. Deadline reports that the “King Ivory” director is the actor’s choice to helm “Fast And Loose” after Bay left it behind last month. Bay exited over creative differences, but Swab and Smith are on the same page; the up-and-coming director apparently made a strong impression on the former A-list actor and Netflix execs.
READ MORE: Will Smith Parts Ways With Michael Bay On Netflix Action Film ‘Fast And Loose’
And that’s what Smith hopes “Fast And Loose” will do for him: restore his status as a sought-after Hollywood star after slugging Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars left the actor in disgrace. A new director in Swab is just part of Smith’s comeback plans there, as he and Netflix will also produce Jerry Bruckheimer on board the film. Bruckheimer, who produces the “Bad Boys” franchise, will do here as well. “Fast And Loose” is one of a few irons in Smith’s fire: he’ll also star in an upcoming “I Am Legend” sequel with Michael B. Jordan, as well as a Boston-set thriller “Sugar Bandits.”
So what’s “Fast And Loose” about? Smith stars in the film as a man who wakes up in Tijuana with no memory, only to realize he’s been living a double life as a crime kingpin and an undercover CIA agent. But who’s he really? He’ll have to find out before it’s too late.
Jon Hoeber, Erich Hoeber, Eric Pearson, and Dave Callaham pen the film’s script, with Bruckheimer and Chad Oman producing via Bruckheimer Films. Smith also produces via Westerbrook Studios, along with David Leitch and Kelly McCormick via 87 North, and Adam Fishbach. Executive producers include Kosaku Yada, James Lassiter, Robert Simonds, Noah Fogelson, Jeff Waxman, and Jen Madeloff.
“Fast And Loose” is easily Swab’s biggest film to date, but he’s been on on the rise since “King Ivory” broke out at the Venice Film Festival last year. Critics loved that film (read The Playlist’s review of it here), a crime thriller based on true accounts of the fentanyl trafficking industry. It’s taken a while for “King Ivory” to get a wide theatrical release in the US, but it hits theaters in November. Other recent films by Swab include “Ida Red,” “Candy Land,” and “One Day As A Lion.”
With Swab now on board, Netflix’s shooting schedule for “Fast And Loose” may go on as planned, so expect the film to hit the streamer sometime next year. Will it reclaim Will Smith’s professional standing and make John Swab a major director? We’ll see.
