Will Smith Wants Denzel for Katrina Saga “American Can”

One day Will Smith is courting Emma Thompson, the next it's Denzel Washington.

Smith wants Washington to star in "American Can," a film he's producing about John Keller, the 6-foot-8 ex-Marine who led the the effort to protect and save the people of the American Can housing project in in New Orleans in the aftermath of the destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina, reported Vulture.

Keller spent two days spray-painting on the roof pleas for help and trying to wave down National Guard helicopters, but he was ignored until he brought all the white people up on top of the building. Fifteen minutes after the appearance of Caucasians in peril, the Guard began dropping supplies.

You can watch Keller talk about the experience below, in a clip from the documentary "New Orleans: My Home, My Life, My Love":

Washington is currently filming "Safe House" with Ryan Reynolds, but is reportedly reading the script by John Lee Hancock ("The Blind Side") with interest.

Earlier this week it was learned that Smith is also producing, along with Jay-Z, a new version of "Annie" as a starring vehicle for his daughter Willow, and hopes to get Emma Thompson to write the screenplay.

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