Although the people who roped him into the country are mum on the information of his whereabouts and what he is here for, Will Smith (52) is in Namibia and that’s all that matters as he is alleged to be busy shooting scenes for the docu-series he hosts called One Strange Rock.
One Strange Rock is an American television documentary series which premiered on National Geographic in 2018. As of December 2020, season two hasn’t received a premiere date but remains in production. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star made headlines when news of him coming to the land of the brave surfaced on social media and the excitement grew in anticipation of his arrival. The tension was put at ease when he was seen with a ground crew at one of the local airports. “I finally got the photo I was looking for, talking to so many people – but here it is. Will Smith is in Namibia and from now on let’s get every celebrity that comes to Namibia to show some love and support by taking a picture with the Nam hand sign #namflava,” posted Namibian artist EES.
Speculation was the film is under the supervision and authorisation of the Namibia Film Commission which permitted the shooting but when contacted for information they said they are not involved in any of that and the right correspondent to talk to would be Namib Films.
“They (crew) clearly stated they wanted privacy, they don’t want their location known, where they are staying and when they will be leaving but Namib Films will be the right people to talk to. They don’t want any interviews or anything of that sort,” responded a reliable source, who preferred anonymity with information surfacing that they are based at the coast at Swakopmund.
When contacted for a comment on how Smith is doing and finding the country, Namib Films was shocked, acted surprised and said they have no idea what this reporter was talking about.
Namibia has been a hub of preferred shooting scenes with directors specifically targetting the Namib Desert. The extraordinarily breathtaking desert scenery provided the ideal dystopian setting for the installment in George Miller’s Mad Max saga starring Max (Tom Hardy), his confidant Furiosa (Charlize Theron), and her band of fellow escapees who got together to defeat a cold-blooded warlord who hunted the fleeing rebels across the roasting dunes. Other films shot at the amazing site include 10,000 BC, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Beyond Borders with Angelina Jolie, The Young Black Stallion and The Flight of the phoenix starring Dennis Quaid and Giovanni Ribisi.
Whether Will Smith wants to have an interview or not, and whether he discloses his location or not – he is in Namibia and that’s all that matters.
– psiririka@nepc.com.na