Entertainment Movies Will Smith to Play Serena and Venus Williams' Dad Richard in New Movie: Report The biopic King Richard will chronicle the life of the tennis legends' father By Helen Murphy Published on March 5, 2019 11:36 AM Share Tweet Pin Email Will Smith is set to star as Serena Williams and Venus Williams‘ dad! On Monday, Deadline reported that Smith, 50, is “poised to play” Richard Williams in a new movie that chronicles the life of the tennis legends’ father. Though the script has not yet been sold, the potential biopic King Richard will center around Williams, 77, and how he “overcame tremendous hardship, skepticism and his own troubled past” to coach his daughters to tennis stardom, according to Deadline. PEOPLE is out to Smith’s representatives for comment. Mike Marsland/WireImage; Uri Schanker/GC Images Venus Williams, Richard Williams and Serena Williams in 2012. Julian Finney/Getty Serena Williams Found Out That Her Father Wouldn’t Walk Her Down Aisle Via Text on Wedding Day Despite not having an extensive background in tennis, when Serena, now 37, and Venus, now 38, were children, Williams wrote up a 78-page plan to make them tennis stars. He began giving lessons to his daughters when they were 4-years-old. The sisters are now two of the most famous tennis players in history; Serena has won 23 Grand Slam tournaments, and Venus has won seven. Richard Williams with his daughters in 1991. Paul Harris/Online USA/Getty “It all started with an idea,” Serena once said. “It was his idea. It’s changed sports. It’s changed history.” “He’s been the most important person in my career,” she added. The casting news came amid reports that Smith will not return for the Suicide Squad sequel, which is set to open in 2021. The actor will next be seen starring as the genie in the live-action movie Aladdin, which hits theaters in May.