Will Smith has landed the main role in Sugar Bandits, an upcoming action crime film based on Chuck Hogan’s 2010 book Devils in Exile.

Smith will play Neal Maven, an Iraq War veteran who works with other military veterans to combat the Boston drug trade.

This casting announcement, revealed by Variety on Wednesday, represents a huge career step for him, bringing him back into the spotlight.

The screenplay for Sugar Bandits was written by Chuck Hogan, who is most recognised for his work on the 2016 film 13 Hours.

The picture will be shown at the European picture Market on Thursday, and CAA Media Finance and AGC worldwide will handle worldwide distribution.

This is his first significant project since collaborating with Antoine Fuqua on Emancipation in 2022, which got mixed reviews following Smith’s widely publicised incident at the Academy Awards in which he slapped comedian Chris Rock.

Will Smith’s forthcoming projects include a part alongside Michael B. Jordan in the highly anticipated I Am Legend sequel and a fourth edition of the Bad Boys franchise, according to the website.