Will Smith's Westbrook signs first-look deal for films with Paramount

Will Smith and his production company Westbrook have signed a first-look, multipicture deal with Paramount Pictures that will place Westbrook on the studio lot in Hollywood and develop theatrical, franchise-minded films for global audiences, Paramount said. The pact, announced as the studio expands under new ownership, includes two projects already in development: Sugar Bandits, an adaptation of Chuck Hogan's Devils in Exile, and Rabbit Hole, a screenplay by Dune co-writer Jon Spaihts.

Paramount said the agreement will focus on "four-quadrant" theatrical movies rooted in existing intellectual property with franchise potential and that projects will be positioned as starring vehicles for Smith. Jada Pinkett Smith is expected to produce under the Westbrook banner, which she co-founded with her husband. Westbrook is represented by Creative Artists Agency.

Sugar Bandits is being developed from Hogan's novel, which follows an Iraq War veteran who joins a vigilante group targeting drug traffickers and seizing their money. Some accounts place the story in Boston; others emphasize the broader premise of a disgraced soldier turning to vigilantism. Rabbit Hole has been confirmed with Jon...