On May 22, 2024, a Facebook post from the page YODA BBY ABY claimed that Will Smith was taking on a comedic role in a remake of "Mrs. Doubtfire," with Zoe Saldana co-starring.
The post, which had more than 42,000 likes and had been shared around 25,000 times as of this writing, showed Smith in costume and makeup as an older woman. The post claimed the movie would be released in March 2025.
The caption read:
MRS. DOUBTFIRE REMAKE!!! WILL SMITH!!!
Prepare for a heartwarming and hilarious journey with 20th Century Studios' Mrs. Doubtfire, featuring the incredible Will Smith as Daniel Hillard, who disguises himself as the unforgettable Mrs. Euphegenia Doubtfire. In this delightful reboot, Smith's comedic brilliance shines as he becomes the ultimate nanny to reconnect with his children, alongside a talented cast including Zoe Saldana as his ex-wife. Filled with laughter, love, and a touch of nostalgia, this family comedy hits theaters in March 2025 – don't miss the laughter-filled adventure of Mrs. Doubtfire!
However, the above claim was fabricated and there was no evidence that such a movie was actually being made. If this were the case, there would have been mainstream news coverage and a promotional campaign involving the main stars. A search of Will Smith's IMDb page found there was no upcoming movie with him in the role.
A Google reverse-image search also yielded no authentic sources for the poster in the post.
The post originated from a Facebook page that is satirical in nature. YODA BBY ABY describes everything it posts as satirical. According to its Facebook introduction: "I'm just here to eat frogs, lift rocks and be satirical. The page is 100% satire and fake news." Given that this disclaimer is on the page, we rate this claim as "Labeled Satire."
This is not the first time we have fact-checked posts from this page. Previously, a post promoted a fake poster for a "Hocus Pocus" prequel series.
For background, here is why we sometimes write about satire/humor.