Will Smith is set for another post-apocalyptic (sort of) outing next June with After Earth.
The movie, set for release June 7th, 2013, puts Smith’s character on a familiar planet as he crash lands on Earth which had been abandoned over a thousand years ago.
Smith seems to be very much interested in post Earth-type roles, as well as acting alongside his son, Jaden, who will co-star in the Summer flick. The plot itself revolves around the survival on a planet overrun with creatures that have evolved to seek and devour all human life. As far as the trailer (catch it below) will let us believe, there are no other humans on the planet anymore.
The plotline is not entirely dissimilar to overarching themes in Will’s other films Independence Day and I am Legend, although they are clearly different enough to warrant a different film. It’s interesting to note that Smith’s most successful movies (by box office rake) are the aforementioned flicks, followed by another alien-ridden film, Men in Black.
Here’s what we’ve learned verbatim about the story:
A thousand years after the horrific events that forced humans off of Earth, humans now live on their new home called Nova Prime. The legendary General Cypher Raige (Will Smith) returns home after a long time in the line of duty. He goes back to his now estranged family. He wants to become a better father to his son Kitai (Jaden Smith). But when an asteroid hits Kitai and Cypher’s space ship, they crash land on a now dangerous and unfriendly Earth. Kitai has to be the soldier that he has always wanted to be when he has to find their ship’s rescue beacon, because his father was gravely injured in the ship.
From what we’ve gathered from the trailer, After Earth seems to question the existence of fear and how the human body creates and handles it. Much like I Am Legend turned out to be far less about zombies or mutated humans and more about the human condition and one’s ability to love, it seems that the Smiths have chosen a role with a little more depth than first meets the eye.
With that said, the attraction to Earth-destroying films seems to run in the family as Jaden also starred in 2008’s remake of The Day The Earth Stood Still alongside Jennifer Connelly and Keanu Reeves.
It’ll be interesting to see Will and Jaden on screen again in a very different manner than we witnessed them in The Pursuit of Happyness. Will their natural chemistry shine or will it be bizarre to see them act together? Perhaps Jaden has grown up and will out-act his dad? We won’t be putting any money on that last part, but it is worth noting that anything could happen.