Will Smith’s first collaboration with Netflix resulted in Bright – one of their most streamed originals in history. That’s why it’s not surprising to see this streaming giant teaming up with the famous actor once again, on promising crime drama The Council.
This project will tell the story of an organized crime syndicate run by seven black mobsters who operated in Harlem in the ‘70s with one common goal – creating a self-sufficient and self-policing African-American city-state, funded by revolutionizing the drug game.
Smith will portray the role of crime boss Nicky Barnes, who was arrested in 1978 and went on to become federal informant under the witness protection program, which led to a reversal of his life sentence. This won’t be Barnes first appearance in a major Hollywood movie; Cuba Gooding Jr. brought him to life in Ridley Scott’s film American Gangster.
The Council will mostly focus on the Shakespearean court intrigue between Barnes and other members of the council. Peter Landesman, who previously collaborated with Smith on sports drama Concussion, was in charge of penning the script.
