It seems Will Smith hasn’t seen Tropic Thunder. It’s too late for him now, because he’s signed on to star in a new version of Flowers for Algernon according to Pajiba.

They say he’ll both produce and star in the film, and if he’s starring that must mean he’ll be playing the mentally challenged Charlie. In the original Hugo Award winning short story, Charlie Gordon is the first human test subject for a surgery which triples his 68 IQ. Unfortunately he soon becomes so smart that he can no longer relate to the people around him and when, as it must, his IQ returns to normal levels he’s left only with the painful awareness that everyone around him feels sorry for him. Oh the irony!

The story has been a movie several times before but it’s never been the star-studded, big-budget affair that a Will Smith powered Algernon is sure to be. It’s a challenging acting role, and another opportunity for Will Smith to prove he’s more than just the Fresh Prince. After his performance in The Pursuit of Happyness, if this rumor pans out I’m down for seeing what he can do with Flowers for Algernon.