Will Smith to star in a remake of 'The Wild Bunch'

A remake of Sam Peckinpah's 1969 Western classic The Wild Bunch has been in development for ages, with the late Tony Scott the last director attached to it. That was more than a couple of years ago, and understandably there's been little movement on it, but that appears to be changing now with Will Smith coming on board to star.

Smith, who will see his box office muscle put to the test when After Earth opens in a couple of weeks, will star and likely produce the film, which is now seeking a new writer and director. Scott's Man on Fire scribe Brian Helgeland had started on a draft but never completed it. The contemporary remake is said to involve a team of DEA agents who go after the fortune of a Mexican drug cartel leader.

It'll be Smith's first Western since Wild Wild West, which was a monster hit for him back in the day. He's currently signed up to cameo in Akiva Goldsman's adaptation of Winter's Tale, and recently took on the crime rom-com, Focus. This 'Wild Bunch' remake has been through the wringer, once eying Shia LaBeouf and Mickey Rourke for starring roles, so it may be best to take a "wait and see" approach. [TheWrap]