Will Smith in Talks to Star in Sci-Fi Thriller ‘Brilliance’ for Legendary, Universal (Exclusive)

Julius Onah (“God Particle”) is directing from a script by David Koepp, who adapted Marcus Sakey’s novel of the same name

Will Smith is in early talks to star in Legendary Pictures and Universal Pictures’ potential tentpole “Brilliance,” two individuals familiar with the project have told TheWrap.

Legendary would not confirm, while a representative for Smith did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Julius Onah (“God Particle”) is directing the sci-fi thriller from a script by David Koepp, who adapted Marcus Sakey’s novel of the same name.

Joe Roth, Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni will produce, while Alex Hedlund, Palek Patel and Eric McLeod will executive produce.

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Set in a world where some people called “brilliants” are born with heightened cognitive abilities, the story follows a federal agent whose extraordinary gift makes him exceptional at hunting terrorists.

The novel was published by Thomas and Mercer, an imprint of Amazon, in August 2013. “Brilliance” is the first of a planned three-book series, with the second book set to be released later this year.

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Smith next stars opposite Margot Robbie in WB’s con man movie “Focus.” He’s repped by CAA.

Legendary’s recent releases included Zack Snyder’s “Man of Steel,” Guillermo del Toro’s “Pacific Rim” and the Jackie Robinson biopic “42.” The company’s upcoming films include “Godzilla,” “Warcraft” and “300: Rise of an Empire.”

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