Will Smith in new film trailer for King Richard as father of Venus and Serena Williams
As well as Hollywood superstar Will Smith, the film also features Aunjanue Ellis as the girls’ mother – with Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton playing Venus and Serena respectively.
The trailer for King Richard has been released, offering a first look at Will Smith as the father of tennis icons Venus and Serena Williams.
The film is based on the true story of the Williams sisters‘ rise to stardom, told from the perspective of their father Richard. It will show how Williams raised his daughters in Los Angeles to be the world-beating tennis players they are today.
King Richard depicts an “undeterred father instrumental in raising two of the most extraordinarily gifted athletes of all time, who will end up changing the sport of tennis forever”, according to Warner Bros. The film will celebrate their roots and heritage, and show the unwavering confidence Williams had in Venus and Serena.Advertisement In the clip, Williams, played by Smith, says: “This next step you have got to take. “You are not going to be just representing us, you are going to be representing every little black girl on Earth.”
Will Smith portrays ‘relentless’ father to Williams sisters in powerful trailer of ‘King Richard’
In the newly released first trailer for ‘King Richard’, Hollywood star Will Smith is all set to make his big-screen return in the role of the ultra-ambitious and inspirational father to tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams. As per report., ‘King Richard’ will follow the journey of Richard Williams, “an undeterred father” with a “relentless drive and unapologetic vision to change the game” who is “instrumental in raising two of the most extraordinarily gifted athletes of all time,” who will end up changing the sport of tennis forever. Driven by a clear vision of their future and using unconventional methods, Richard has a plan that will take Venus and Serena Williams from the streets of Compton, California, to the global stage as legendary icons. The trailer focuses on Richard’s parenting efforts as he drives his daughters toward their destiny of becoming barrier-shattering pro tennis champs. “I wrote a 78-page plan for their whole career before they were even born,” Richard intones in the trailer, along with tearfully telling Venus and Serena, “You’re going to be representing every little Black girl on Earth.” In the film, Smith portrays Richard, the father of two young tennis prodigies, played by Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton. The film also stars Aunjanue Ellis as Oracene ‘Brandi’ Williams, Tony Goldwyn as coach Paul Cohen and Jon Bernthal as coach Rick Macci. ‘King Richard’ has been directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green. ‘King Richard’ marks Smith’s first major release since the 2020 sequel ‘Bad Boys for Life’. As per reports, this new film will be released in theatres on November 19, and then 31 days following its theatrical release. Celebrated actor Will Smith returns to the big screen later this year with his highly anticipated film, “King Richard”. Although the movie is only set to be released in November, Smith is already trending thanks to the trailer which was released this week. Smith plays Richard Williams, the ultra-ambitious and inspirational father to tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams. Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton play the two young tennis prodigies while Aunjanue Ellis stars as Oracene “Brandi” Williams, Tony Goldwyn as coach Paul Cohen and Jon Bernthal as coach Rick Macci. The trailer focuses on Richard’s parenting efforts as he drives his daughters toward their destiny of becoming barrier-shattering pro tennis champs. Richard, who had no tennis background, overcame tremendous hardship, scepticism, and his own troubled past to raise two of the game’s greatest players. When his daughters were around the age of 4, Richard Williams drew up a 78-page plan for their professional tennis careers. He began giving them tennis lessons and the girls learned the game on cracked, weedy public courts in Compton, California, reportedly after their father brawled with young toughs who were not fans of the sport and would not make way. The Williams sisters went on to become two of the greatest players in tennis history. According to Warner Bros, “King Richard” follows the journey of Richard Williams, “an undeterred father” with a “relentless drive and unapologetic vision to change the game” who is “instrumental in raising two of the most extraordinarily gifted athletes of all time, who will end up changing the sport of tennis forever. The trailer begins with Venus and Serena arriving to their Compton home with dad Richard after tennis practice in the pouring rain to find a white social worker “checking” on the children. A calm yet frustrated Richard tells her: ‘I don’t even mind you saying we hard on these kids. You know why? ‘Cause we are. That’s our job. To keep ’em off these streets. “You wanna check on the kids? Let’s check on the kids. “We got future doctors, and lawyers, plus a couple tennis stars in this house,” he emphatically tells her, while shots of young Venus and Serena practising flash on the screen. “You’re going to be representing every little black girl on Earth,” says Richard in the trailer. Venus and Serena themselves are among the executive producers behind the film, In a recent appearance on “The Kelly Clarkson Show”, Venus said that “King Richard” tells the story of a “revolutionary” man and trailblazer. “It’s really about my dad and how he literally changed the game and how this started,” Venus said during the January-aired chat. “He’s a revolutionary kind of person. I love him to death. And of course it features my mom who I love so much,” she said.
Willard Carroll Smith Jr.
(born September 25, 1968) is an American actor, rapper, and film producer. Smith has been nominated for five Golden Globe Awards and two Academy Awards, and has won four Grammy Awards.
During the late 1980s, he achieved modest fame as a rapper under the name The Fresh Prince. In 1990, his popularity increased dramatically when he began starring in the NBC television series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which ran for six seasons until 1996. After the series ended, Smith transitioned from television to film and went on to star in numerous blockbuster films, most notably Independence Day (1996) and Men in Black (1997). He is the only actor to have starred in eight consecutive films which grossed over $100 million in the United States box office, eleven consecutive films which grossed over $150 million internationally, and eight consecutive films which opened at the number one spot in the US box office tally.[3]
Smith has been ranked as the most bankable star worldwide by Forbes.[4] In April 2007, Newsweek called him “the most powerful actor in Hollywood”.[5] As of 2014, 17 of the 21 films in which he has had leading roles have accumulated worldwide gross earnings of over $100 million each, with five taking in over $500 million each in global box office receipts. As of 2016, his films have grossed $7.5 billion at the global box office.[6] For his performances as boxer Muhammad Ali in Ali (2001) and stockbroker Chris Gardner in The Pursuit of Happyness (2006), Smith received Academy Award nominations for Best Actor.
Will Smith plays pushy father to tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams in ‘King Richard’ trailer
Will Smith is no stranger to sports dramas, having portrayed boxing icon Muhammad Ali in 2001’s Ali (which earned the actor his first Oscar nomination) and taken on the NFL in 2015’s Concussion (which also earned plenty of awards love).
From the looks of the first trailer for King Richard, Smith could be in the running for a third Academy Award nomination for his latest sporting venture as Richard Williams, the determined dad who rallied Venus and Serena Williams to tennis superstardom.
Given Smith’s fatherly role and the film’s inspirational tone, however, King Richard actually looks like it has more in common with the actor’s 2006 tearjerker The Pursuit of Happiness — the film that netted him his second of two Oscar noms.
Written by Zach Baylin and directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green (the 2018 Sundance premiere Monsters and Men), King Richard follows the formative years of the future phenoms Venus (Saniyya Sidney) and Serena (Demi Singleton) as they defy expectations and emerge out of the rough-and-tumble neighborhood of Compton, Calif. en route to global domination on the court.
The trailer makes clear Richard strategized his daughters’ success in the sport as he tells one person he had a “78-page plan for their whole career before they were even born.”
While fans of Venus and Serena Williams, who were both ranked No. 1 in the world at different points and won a combined 30 Grand Slam singles titles, will enjoy moments like their spine-tingling “I’m Venus” and “I’m Serena” introductions in the preview, as the film’s title indicates, the story’s focus centers on their relationship with and tutelage from their father.
And Smith looks in top form, introducing a distinctive character that is alternately snappy, strict, funny and teary-eyed.
Venus and Serena, meanwhile, clearly didn’t mind deflecting the spotlight to their dad. Both are executive producers on the project, along with their sister Isha Prince.
Rounding out the cast is Aunjanue Ellis as Oracene “Brandi” Williams, Jon Bernthal as coach Rick Macci, Tony Goldwyn as coach Paul Cohen, and Dylan McDermott as a sports agent.
Serena Jameka Williams
(born September 26, 1981)[1] is an American professional tennis player and former world No. 1 in women’s single tennis. She has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the most by any player in the Open Era, and the second-most of all time behind Margaret Court (24). The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) ranked her world No. 1 in singles on eight separate occasions between 2002 and 2017. She reached the No. 1 ranking for the first time on July 8, 2002. On her sixth occasion, she held the ranking for 186 consecutive weeks, tying the record set by Steffi Graf. In total, she has been No. 1 for 319 weeks, which ranks third in the Open Era among female players behind Graf and Martina Navratilova.
Williams is widely regarded to be one of the greatest female tennis players of all time.[a] She holds the most Grand Slam titles in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles combined among active players. Her 39 Grand Slam titles put her joint-third on the all-time list and second in the Open Era: 23 in singles, 14 in women’s doubles, and two in mixed doubles. She is the most recent female player to have held all four Grand Slam singles titles simultaneously (2002–03 and 2014–15) and the third player to achieve this twice, after Rod Laver and Graf. She is also the most recent player to have won a Grand Slam title on each surface (hard, clay and grass) in one calendar year (2015). She is also, together with her older sister Venus, the most recent player to have held all four Grand Slam women’s doubles titles simultaneously (2009–10).
What is Richard Williams worth?
How much is Richard Williams Worth? Richard Williams net worth: Richard Williams is an American tennis coach who has a net worth of $20 million dollars. Richard Williams was born in Shreveport, Louisiana and subsequently relocated to California.
What is Richard Williams famous for?
Richard Edmund Williams (March 19, 1933 – August 16, 2019) was a Canadian–British animator, voice actor, director, and writer, best known for serving as animation director on Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), for which he won two Academy Awards, and for his unfinished feature film The Thief and the Cobbler (1993).
How Richard Williams trained his daughters?
Channel-surfing convinced Richard to turn his daughters into tennis champions. … Richard had been a football player in Shreveport, so he had athleticism and discipline that made him a quick study. Venus got her first real lessons when she was just 4 years old. Serena tagged along and was soon begging to play, too.
How did Richard Williams learn tennis?
Williams, who taught himself how to play the game in part by watching instructional videos, according to a 1999 Sports Illustrated profile, began coaching Venus and Serena at public courts in Los Angeles when they were in elementary school.
Richard Dove Williams Jr.
(born February 14, 1942) is an American tennis coach, and the father of Venus and Serena Williams.
Does Venus Williams have a baby?
Venus Williams does not have any children. She is aunt to sister Serena’s daughter, Alexi Olympia Ohanian Jr.
What disease does Venus Williams have?
Later that year in 2009, Venus Williams, at age 31, pulled out of the U.S. Open after having suffered joint pain, hand swelling, numbness, fatigue, dry eyes and a dry mouth. She had an overall feeling of being “beat up.” Venus was finally diagnosed with Sjogren’s syndrome, a little-known autoimmune disorder.
How old was Venus when she first won Wimbledon?
On October 31, 1994, Williams turned pro at 14 years old.
Who is the richest female tennis player?
Naomi Osaka
22-year-old’s $37.4M in earnings most ever for female athlete over 12-month period. Japan’s Naomi Osaka has surpassed Serena Williams as the world’s highest-paid female athlete, raking in $37.4 million in prize money and endorsements over the last year, according to Forbes.
Who is richer Serena or her husband?
Alexis Ohanian’s net worth
He is no longer the owner of the company as he sold his stake back in 2006 for a reported $10 million. Alexis’ current net worth is actually less than Serena’s and is at $40 million, whereas Serena is worth over an astonishing $100 million.
Venus Ebony Starr Williams
(born June 17, 1980) is an American professional tennis player. A former world No. 1 in both singles and doubles, Williams is generally regarded as one of the all-time greats of women’s tennis and, along with younger sister Serena Williams, is credited with ushering in a new era of power and athleticism on the women’s professional tennis tour.