Will Smith’s Supermax: Cast, Plot and What We Know About the Prime Video Prison Thriller

Will Smith leads Supermax, an action thriller from director David Gordon Green about two FBI agents investigating a murder inside the world’s most secure prison. Amazon MGM Studios took worldwide rights from Miramax in a deal reported around $70 million, and the film will go straight to Prime Video, per Deadline.

The Premise

The story is built around a simple and tense setup: two federal agents, a murder and a prison designed to keep its inmates under the tightest possible control. The term “supermax” is commonly used for the highest-security prisons, where inmates are held in extreme isolation with very limited movement. A murder investigation in that kind of setting means the agents must work within strict rules, surrounded by people who have been confined because they are considered among the most dangerous. Beyond that outline, plot details have not been released.

Cast and Characters

Smith plays an agent named Rex. AnnaSophia Robb plays his younger partner, according to MovieWeb. The cast also includes Jaafar Jackson, Jason Clarke, Melissa Leo, Nicholas Alexander Chavez, Andrés Almeida and Nathan Phillips. Jackson’s character has not been revealed, and it is his first announced role since playing Michael Jackson in Michael.

The ensemble combines performers from different stages of their careers. Leo is an Oscar winner, as Variety’s headline notes, and Clarke has built a career playing intense dramatic roles. Robb has been acting since childhood and now takes on the role of Smith’s partner, which places the story’s central investigative pair at the heart of the film. Jackson’s casting draws extra attention because of the timing, arriving after his lead role in Michael.

Filmmakers and Production

David Weil and David J. Rosen wrote the script. Smith and Adam Fishbach produce through Westbrook, alongside Andrew Rona and Alex Heineman of The Picture Company. Production began in New South Wales, Australia, in August, and Melissa Leo joined the cast in September, per Variety.

Director David Gordon Green is known for working across genres, from comedy to horror, and his credits include Pineapple Express and the 2018 Halloween. A claustrophobic prison thriller gives him a setting in which tension can build inside a single location, and the film’s Australian shoot suggests that a large part of the prison world is being created for the production rather than filmed in a real facility. Westbrook is Smith’s production company, so he is involved in the film as both star and producer.

The Streaming Deal

The reported $70 million deal, in which Amazon MGM Studios acquired worldwide rights from Miramax, shows how much investment major streaming platforms are willing to make in star-led films that go directly to their services. Rather than opening in theaters and moving to streaming later, Supermax will debut on Prime Video, which means subscribers in many countries will be able to watch it at the same time once a release date is set.

Smith’s Recent Work

Deadline calls it Smith’s first non-franchise studio film in recent years, and it is his first movie since Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024). No release date has been announced.

Smith has spent much of his career in large action and science fiction projects, and a number of his best-known roles have come from established franchises. A non-franchise thriller marks a change from that pattern. With filming having started in August and further casting additions still arriving through September, the project is still in the early stages, and viewers should expect more information, including a release date and a first trailer, to follow as production progresses.

What Remains Unannounced

Several basic details are still open. Prime Video has not announced a release date, the film’s runtime and rating have not been shared, and the identities of some characters, including the one played by Jackson, remain undisclosed. The casting reports so far have come through trade publications, which suggests that further news will continue to arrive in stages as the shoot continues. Until Amazon MGM Studios provides an official schedule, the information gathered here reflects what has been confirmed about the project’s cast, crew, production start and distribution arrangements.