One great sci-fi movie from 1970 almost received a remake starring Will Smith, but the project fell through before it could come to fruition. Although AI is everywhere in 2026, viewers who are familiar with the sci-fi genre have no reason to fear this latest technological development. There is a diverse array of sci-fi media that has addressed the ethical implications of AI over the decades, from the surprisingly smart Schwarzenegger sci-fi blockbuster Total Recall to Netflix’s seven-season anthology series Black Mirror.
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One forgotten classic that gave viewers early insight into the potential pitfalls of AI was 1970’s Colossus: The Forbin Project, a thriller from The Taking of Pelham One Two Three director Joseph Sargent. With a script from The China Syndrome’s James Bridges, Colossus: The Forbin Project is based on the novel Colossus by author D.F Jones. A real-life Royal Navy commander in World War II, Jones put his personal military expertise to use in this book’s story of a supercomputer that gains sentience and plots to overthrow humanity.
Colossus: The Forbin Project Is An Underrated ‘70s Sci-fi Masterpiece
While this storyline might sound a lot like a certain Schwarzenegger sci-fi franchise about an android assassin, Colossus: The Forbin Project takes its plot in a very different direction from the apocalyptic storyline of the Terminator movies. In Colossus: The Forbin Project, the titular defensive system attempts to take control of all mankind as its operating system tells Colossus that this is the best way to avoid further conflict.
After making the misguided decision to link the US defence system up with its Soviet competitor, Eric Braeden’s Charles Forbin and William Schallert’s CIA Director Grauber soon scramble to shut down Colossus before the system ignites World War III. When Colossus launches a nuclear missile at the Soviet Union and the Soviet defence system responds in kind, the stage is set for a political techno thriller where both sides must work together to stop their rogue weapons systems.
Will Smith’s Potential Colossus: The Forbin Project Remake Was Floated Over Ten Years Ago
While Will Smith’s iconic sci-fi thriller I Am Legend took place after the world’s population was largely wiped out by a pandemic, the A-list actor almost appeared in a remake of Colossus: The Forbin Project that was in Development Hell for over a decade. Initially, Ron Howard was announced as the project’s potential director when the remake was first floated in 2007, shortly after I Am Legend’s success.
The Apollo 13 director seems like a perfect fit for an updated take on the techno thriller, and Smith was first attached to star in the remake in late 2010. However, by 2013, Men in Black screenwriter Ed Solomon was reportedly working on a new script, and nothing has been heard from the project in the 13 years since that update.
Since the AI industry is growing at such an unprecedented pace, it seems likely that a remake would now run the risk of feeling outdated and redundant by the time filming was finished. With Smith’s rare sequel I Am Legend 2 on the horizon, it also seems unlikely that the star would return to the sci-fi genre once more in quick succession. Thus, the odds of the classic 1970 sci-fi Colossus: The Forbin Project receiving this planned remake starring Will Smith anytime soon seem vanishingly slim.
