When Will Smith and director Gabriele Muccino parted ways on Tonight, He Comes (now John Hancock) due to the dreaded "creative differences" (Hollywood speak for "You’re a piece of shit!"/"No, You’re a piece of shit! And gay! And I can prove it!"), I thought it was the end of the end of an historic partnership that had produced the perfectly above average The Pursuit of Happyness. I remember that morning as it were yesterday. There was a chill in the air. The marine layer enveloped the hills. Matt Lauer was on vacation.
So I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to report that Muccino and Big Willie have mended fences and committed to Seven Pounds for Sony Pictures. The pitch? "It’s like 21 Grams only heavier!" Actually, you’d expect the title to refer to a baby or something, but no; it’s about some sad sack "who inadvertently falls in love while attempting to kill himself". In other words, the pitch should be "What if George Bailey wanted to fuck Clarence?"
Sitcom veteran Grant Nieporte (late of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch and 8 Simple Rules…) wrote the screenplay, while Escape Artists (Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, Steve Tisch) and Overbrook Entertainment (Smith and James Lassiter) will produce. Vegas has set the over-under on title changes before release at two.