Will Smith to portray Richard Williams in new film

In casting news that rocketed around the tennis world, Will Smith was revealed as the actor set to inhabit the character of Richard Williams, father to Venus and Serena Williams, in a forthcoming film titled KingRichard.

The film reportedly will depict Venus and Serena's father as overcoming the cynicism and other barriers laid before his tennis tutelage of his daughters, who sprang from picking up racquets circa age 4 to, between them, snaring 30 Grand Slam singles titles and 14 major doubles crowns, with a sprinkling of a few mixed-doubles trophies for good measure.

They began the sanctioned-match side of their assault on tennis history—two sisters perennially featuring at or near the top of the sport (or any sport)—in their teens.

That the 50-year-old Smith affixed his cinematic star wattage to the film came to light via a Deadline exclusive, and it set fans of the Williams sisters and movie buffs all atwitter.

Literally, though: A lot of online conversation taking place about Smith featuring in the film centers on his shade of melanin, and whether he is darkly complected enough to accurately portray the patriarch of the Williams tennis dynasty.

The actor's does not note the pre-production project, while alluding to his forthcoming role as the genie in a live-action version of Aladdin (2019) and a sequel in the BadBoys franchise (2020). He reportedly forsook a sophomore turn in the SuicideSquad series.

Richard Williams was a mercurial, often-entertaining fixture in his daughter's lives as they rose through the tennis ranks to become legendary players, even greatest of all time. Now 77 years old, he has largely retreated from public view as he has suffered various health ailments in recent years.

Meanwhile, Oracene Price, the sisters' mother, appears frequently at their matches and has been spotted in Indian Wells. Venus was asked about the King Richard movie to be:

"More than anything, he was and is a great person, a great parent, and he did everything for his family, whatever it took," she said. "And I often think about that, how dedicated he was to being on the court with us, rain or shine or whatever it was. There is not a lot of people who could do that. I'm grateful."

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