Jaden Smith is "The Karate Kid"

The Karate Kid lives again, thanks to Will Smith. According to MTV.com, the rapper-turned-Oscar nominee's production company, Overbrook Entertainment, is remaking the 1984 classic. Will's son, Jaden, is starring in the title role, with Taraji P. Henson doing the honors as his mother. The martial arts instructor will be played by none other than Jackie Chan. In the original, Ralph Macchio, Randee Heller, and the late Pat Morita played those roles.

Smith Takes on Katrina

Will Smith is taking a Hurricane Katrina story to the big screen. According to Variety, Overbrook Entertainment -- Smith's production company -- and Sony Pictures have obtained the movie rights to the life story of John Keller, the ex-Marine who helped rescue 244 of his New Orleans neighbors back in 2005. John Lee Hancock of The Rookie and The Alamo fame has signed on to direct Smith in the film. No word yet on when we'll see the fruit of their labor.

Jewish Group Honors Will Smith

Will Smith was honored for his humanitarian work in Beverly Hills this week. Entertainment Tonight was on hand at the Simon Wiesenthal Center's 2009 National Tribute Dinner to see the Hancock star accept the human rights organization's Humanitarian Award. Charlize Theron presented him with his prize.

Smith said he was overwhelmed to be honored at the same event as one of America's newest heroes -- airline pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger. You'll recall that Sully was the one who landed that plane in New York City's Hudson River back in January.

Will Smith & SciFi's "Unfinished Business"

Will Smith has some unfinished business with the SciFi Channel. He has teamed up with the network to produce the new crime drama about an ex-cop who teams up with the recently deceased to help them tie up their loose ends on earth. Unfinished Business will kick off with a two-hour TV movie that will double as the pilot. No word on when we'll actually see the finished product.

What Ever Happened To...DJ Jazzy Jeff?

Just because we haven’t seen DJ Jazzy Jeff in a minute, don’t think he’s not working. The former partner of The Fresh Prince, better known to us as Will Smith, will be taking part in Bacardi B-Live, a concert series that features some of the hottest acts and DJs from all over the world. Other acts on the tour include MSTRKRFT; Q-Tip, and Santigold.

The cool thing about the tour – which kicks off on May 20th in Seattle – is the Bacardi Bespoke Bar. That’s where attendees of legal age – 21 and over – will get a chance to sample and create their own cocktails with the help of a mixologist.

Here’s a complete list of dates for the Bacardi B-Live tour:

May 20 – Seattle, WA
May 22 – San Francisco, CA
May 28 – San Diego, CA
May 29 – Los Angeles, CA
May 30 – Phoenix, AZ
June 3 – Denver, CO
June 6 – Kansas City, MO
June 11 – Milwaukee, WI
June 12 – Chicago, IL
June 13 – St. Louis, MO
June 17 – New York, NY
June 18 – Boston, MA
June 19 – Philadelphia, PA
June 25 – Louisville, KY
June 26 – Cleveland, OH
June 27 – Columbus, OH
July 2 – Charlotte, NC
July 3 – Atlanta, GA
July 4 – Orlando, FL
July 8 – New Orleans, LA
July 10 – Austin, TX
July 11 – Dallas, TX

Big Willie Brings in Big Bucks

If you wanna make money in the movie business, call Will Smith. According to the inaugural Forbes Star Currency survey, he's the man who can ensure a film's financial success.

The survey asked industry pros to rank working actors on a scale from one-to-10 on everything from the ability to attract financing to actual ticket sales. Smith scored a perfect 10. Not only is he able to bring the cash, he's also respected as a serious actor in light of his two Oscar nominations for his work in Ali and The Pursuit of Happyness.

Here's the list of the Top 20 Most Bankable Actors and their three top-grossing films:

1. Will Smith - Score: 10, Independence Day, Hancock, Men in Black

Tied:
2. Johnny Depp - Score: 9.89, All three Pirates of the Caribbean films
2. Leonardo DiCaprio - Score: 9.89, Titanic, Catch Me If You Can, The Departed
2. Angelina Jolie - Score: 9.89, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Wanted, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
2. Brad Pitt - Score: 9.89, Troy, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Ocean's Eleven

6. Tom Hanks - Score: 9.87, The Da Vinci Code, Forrest Gump, Saving Private Ryan
7. George Clooney - Score: 9.81, Ocean's Eleven, Ocean's Twelve, The Perfect Storm
8. Denzel Washington - Score: 9.76, American Gangster, Philadelphia, The Pelican Brief
9. Matt Damon - Score: 9.69, Saving Private Ryan, Ocean's Eleven, The Bourne Ultimatum
10. Jack Nicholson - Score: 9.68, Batman, As Good As It Gets, The Departed
11. Julia Roberts - Score: 9.65, Pretty Woman, Ocean's Eleven, Notting Hill
12. Adam Sandler - Score: 9.61, Click, Big Daddy, You Don't Mess With the Zohan
13. Tom Cruise - Score: 9.6, War of the Worlds, the first two Mission: Impossible films
14. Russell Crowe - Score: 9.57, Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind, American Gangster
15. Will Ferrell - Score: 9.56, Elf, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Blades of Glory
16. Meryl Streep - Score: 9.55, Mamma Mia!, The Devil Wears Prada, The Bridges of Madison County
17. Robert De Niro - Score: 9.54, Meet the Fockers, Meet the Parents, Heat
18. Ben Stiller - Score: 9.5, Night at the Museum, Meet the Fockers, There's Something About Mary
19. Jim Carrey - Score: 9.42, Bruce Almighty, The Mask, Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas
20. Clint Eastwood - Score: 9.33, Million Dollar Baby, The Bridges of Madison County, In the Line of Fire