After losing high-profile stars in the vein of Rooney Mara and Hugh Jackman, not to mention accommodating for Will Smith’s stint on Suicide Squad, production is now finally underway on the set of David Frankel’s character drama, Collateral Beauty.
Eyeing an awards-friendly release in mid-December, Warner Bros. and New Line also debuted the full and star-studded casting docket to mark the start of filming. Placing Smith in the role of a down-in-the-dumps New York advertising executive, Frankel’s (Dear Diary, The Devil Wears Prada) picture also features Edward Norton, relative newcomer Keira Knightley, Michael Peña, Naomie Harris and Jacob Latimore, along with Kate Winslet and Helen Mirren – both hot on the heels of their respective turns in Oscar contenders Steve Jobs and Trumbo.
That’s quite the lineup, and we’re hoping against hope that the core story can match. In case you haven’t been keeping up, it follows Smith’s character, a once-thriving ad executive who finds himself on the brink of depression upon suffering a personal tragedy, leading his work colleagues to concoct a seemingly foolproof plan to shake his mental state back into normality.
During this troubling time, we understand that Smith’s lead encounters the personifications of Love, Time and Death, which has all the makings of a meaty, character-driven role for the A-lister.
Even with such an enviable ensemble in tow, David Frankel’s character drama faces a tall order upon release, given that Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema have slated Collateral Beauty to open opposite Gareth Edwards’ Rogue One: A Star Wars Story on December 16.
