Will Smith Tapped to Portray Gangster Nicky “Mr. Untouchable” Barnes

The story of the infamous Harlem crime boss Nicky Barnes is making its way to the silver screen. In the 1970s, Barnes formed a seven-man, all black crime syndicate known as The Council, and effectively they controlled the drug trafficking network in and out of his hometown. They policed their own areas and relied on themselves to handle all of their illegal moves, unlike others who attempted and failed to become the next big name in the drug game.

Barnes, dubbed “Mr. Untouchable” by The New York Times, would later find himself on the wrong side of the law, as many in his line of business did. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, but while inside, he was given information that would change the course of The Council forever. Not only was the group allegedly not taking care of his finances, including paying his attorney’s fees, but one of his friends and The Council members was sleeping with his mistress, a syndicate rule that was to never be broken. In turn, Barnes became a federal informant and turned over 109 names to the government.

The Barnes tale is one the begs for a film adaptation, and it’s being reported by Deadline that Will Smith will tackle the role as the crime boss in the forthcoming movie, The Council.  This is a narrative that’s never been shared as a movie concept before, and this news comes just months after it was revealed that Barnes had passed away. Although his death occurred back in 2012, because he was in the Witness Protection Program, the information wasn’t made widely available. Do you think this is a good casting move? Who should portray the other syndicate gangsters?