He is the father and coach to two of the best tennis players of all time. Now Richard Williams incredible life is set to become a movie. Deadline reports the project will be entitled King Richard, with Will Smith slated to play the titular role. Smith will also produce the film through his Overbrook Entertainment company, with Zach Baylin writing the script. So far a director has not been found, but Smith is said to be “passionate” about playing Williams.

Richard fell in love with tennis after seeing Virginia Ruzica win a tournament in Salt Lake City in 1980. He then took tennis lessons from a man named “Old Whiskey.” Richard was determined to raise his daughters to become tennis champions. He famously wrote out a 78-page plan detailing the training of young Serena, born in 1980, and Venus, born in 1981. The young girls were only four and a half-years old.

Although he now expresses regret and wishes he trained them aged six, Williams put his whole heart into making his daughters champions. The family ultimately moved to West Palm Beach, Florida to attend Rick Macci’s tennis academy.

But in 1995, Richard pulled his daughters out of the academy and coached them himself. Serena was then just 10, but the devoted father wanted her and Venus to focus on school work. Richard was also disturbed after overhearing white parents talk about the Williams sisters in a derogatory manner during tournaments.

Yet Richard’s dedication to his girls lead them to Grand Slam titles just a few years later. Serena won the U.S. Open in 1999, with Venus winning Wimbledon in 2000.

Serena has now won 23 Grand Slam singles titles – the most in the Open Era and second most ever behind Margaret Court’s 24. The 37-year-old is also the most recent player to hold all four Grand Slam singles titles. Williams has won the U.S. Open, Wimbledon, French Open and the British Open – all at the same time. 

She is only the third player to ever to achieve this incredible feat twice. Serena’s younger sister Venus has achieved seven Grand Slam singles titles, with both Serena and Venus also racking up 14 Grand Slam doubles titles.

Meanwhile, Smith will next be seen in director Guy Ritchie’s live-action adaptation of Aladdin, playing the Genie. The movie will be released on May 24. Smith is currently filming the highly-anticipated Bad Boys For Life with Martin Lawrence. It is scheduled for release in Jan 2020.