Will Smith ’s soon-to-open private school is not a Scientology facility, as some reports have suggested, the academy’s director said.

Smith and his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, have founded the New Village Academy, scheduled to open in September.

The school will use instructional methods developed by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard called study technology. And a few teachers belong to the church.

But the couple say they are not Scientologists, and the academy’s director insists the facility has no religious affiliation. (more…)

On Sunday, June 29th, Will will be on 60 Minutes @ 7 PM EST. Check your local listings for times and stations.

They say the pen is mightier than the sword.

And in Hollywood, sometimes a Sharpie can be more important than the box office—at least when it comes to Will Smith and his pal Tom Cruise.

The Hancock star tells USA Today about the friendly stars’ long-standing rivalry about who spends the most time signing his, well, John Hancock.

“It’s hard to beat that dude,” says Smith. “He has another gear. He did 2½ hours in France for Mission: Impossible on the red carpet. Now when I go to France, people will say, ‘You know, Tom was out here for 2½ hours.’ ” (more…)

Sir Elton John and David Furnish welcome Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith at the 10th Annual White Tie and Tiara Ball to benefit the Elton John Aids Foundation in association with Chopard held at Sir Elton John’s home on June 26, 2008 in Old Windsor, England.

GALLERY LINKS:
• Appearances from 2008 – 10th Annual White Tie & Tiara Ball Benefiting Elton John Aids Foundation
• Appearances from 2008 – 10th Annual White Tie & Tiara Ball Benefiting Elton John Aids Foundation -Inside

There’s some idea out there in the world that Will Smith “owns” the July 4 holiday weekend in terms of box office. I guess this is because of “Independence Day,” one of my favorite movies, and “Men In Black,” also quite good, released, respectively, in 1996 and 1997 on that weekend.

Alas, all good hype must come to an end. “Hancock,” with which Sony is hoping to have a merry July 4, 2008, may not duplicate Smith’s previous successes. It is one of the worst family holiday weekend releases of recent memory — and jaw-droppingly so. And that’s hard to do since it clocks in at a mere wisp of one hour and 20 minutes. (more…)

The biggest star on the planet is sucking his thumb.

“Damn,” Will Smith says on the set of Hancock, trying to shake the pain of a thumbnail that split in two as he was thrown through a mock wall. “All these crazy stunts we’re doing, and this is how I get hurt. I didn’t see that coming.”

Which is strange for Smith, who is nothing if not calculating.

For all the on-screen charisma that has made him a Hollywood ATM, Smith is, at his core, a statistician with social skills. He breaks down the films he’s considering into sub-categories — are there enough special effects, a love story? — to calculate their commercial or Oscar viability. Most Mondays, he pores over box office reports the way sports nuts read box scores, even when he doesn’t have a movie in theaters.

That knack for cinematic algebra makes studios the kind of money once reserved for white men named Tom. (more…)

A-List celebrities like Will Smith, Jada Pinkett-Smith and Oprah Winfrey descended upon London’s Hyde Park Wednesday for a star-studded dinner as part of a week-long celebration honoring Nelson Mandela.

The former South African president is in London for a series of events to celebrate his 90th birthday, including a big outdoor concert at Hyde Park on Friday — with proceeds benefiting his 46664 charity. The show coincides with the 20th anniversary of London’s Free Mandela concert, which called for his release from prison.

GALLERY LINKS:
• Appearances from 2008 – 46664 Concert Photo Session [HQ]
(more…)

Will Smith’s powers are even more extraordinary than those of a caped crusader who can leap way beyond the tallest buildings in a single bound.

Smith has salvaged many vehicles more threadbare than “Hancock,” and though his latest venture is decidedly uneven, he seems poised to score yet another supervictory at the box office when it opens July 2. The Columbia Pictures release is a good showcase for him — and for co-stars Charlize Theron and Jason Bateman. Imagine the heights they all could have scaled if the picture had been really good. (more…)

Will Smith attends the dinner in honour of Nelson Mandela, celebrating his 90th birthday, at Hyde Park on June 25, 2008 in London, England. The dinner will raise funds for Madiba’s global charity projects, The Nelson Mandela Foundation and 46664.

GALLERY LINKS:
• Appearances from 2008 – Dinner In Honour Of Nelson Mandela [HQ]