ABC/Randy Holmes(LOS ANGELES) — Will Smith is taking on a pivotal role in his next project. The actor has signed on to play Richard Williams, father of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams, in the upcoming film, King Richard.

According to Variety, Smith, who is currently filming Bad Boys For Life, will also produce the project, which centers on Mr. Williams’, “overcoming hardship, skepticism, controversy, and his own troubled past” to help bring his talented daughters from Compton, California to the world’s most prestigious tennis courts.

The movie’s script, written by Zach Baylin, was noted as a runner-up on the 2018 Black List, which rounds up the best unproduced screenplays in Hollywood.

This is the latest project for Smith, who plays the Genie in Disney’s upcoming live-action version of Aladdin.

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