Will Smith is finally getting back into the con man game, two decades after he got his first serious acting recognition for Six Degrees Of Separation. Though judging by the trailer for Focus, it’s a far cry from his prep school charades.
The film tells the story of Smith’s experienced grifter training a new recruit, The Wolf Of Wall Street’s Margot Robbie. It doesn’t go smoothly, especially once Smith’s character becomes emotionally involved. Judging by the trailer, it seems to promise some glitzy, Ocean’s Eleven-style capers, combined with a romantic thriller element. Nothing new about any of that, but Will Smith has always excelled at making seemingly stale genre pictures feel fresh again. It’s also fascinating to watch this trailer knowing that writing-directing duo Glenn Ficarra and John Requa were originally on track to film a version that had Ben Affleck and Kristen Stewart attached to star.
Focus is scheduled for a Feb. 27, 2015 release.