After Earth Exposes Will Smith Scientology Links?

Will Smith's latest film After Earth is rife with Scientology references.

WILL SMITH was the most bankable star in Hollywood – his movies were surefire smashes.

But not now — and questions are being asked if the jug-eared one’s latest turkey has flopped because of its apparent references to SCIENTOLOGY.

Some critics believe sci-fi snore After Earth has effectively outed Men In Black star and rap icon Smith as a follower of the controversial cult.

Will came up with the story idea and produced the £84million movie. Co-starring his son Jaden, 14, it is about their spaceship crashing on a post-apocalyptic, abandoned planet Earth.

Will, 44, who plays General Cypher Raige, lies dying in the cockpit and relies on 13-year-old son Kitai (Jaden) to go off in search of the rescue beacon which broke off their craft.

But the intrepid lad must first fight off a ferocious alien Aura monster.

Gripping stuff. Or maybe not, judging by the disappointing £17million the film took on its first weekend in the US.

And some reckon the reason for the flop is that it appears to be less science fiction than scientology fiction.

The film’s tag “Danger is real, fear is a choice”, a line Cypher tells Kitai, may be a first clue to the scientology sub-plot.

For bottling up fear and emotion is something that former scientologists admit they were encouraged to do.

Samantha Domingo, 46, from Kent, was a member of the cult for 20 years and says: “In my opinion After Earth is about scientology.

“Suppressing your true emotions is part of the church’s very powerful indoctrination process.”

But the religious ramblings may not end there. At the centre of the wasteland Kitai tackles is a volcano — just like the cover image of scientology bible Dianetics.

Kitai, meanwhile, is an eager-to-impress member of the fictional Rangers Corps commanded by his dad — and Samantha observes: “This is an organisation where kids are expected to take on adult responsibilities from a young age.

“It mirrors activity in scientology’s elite wing, the Sea Org, which has its own cadet branch. Youngsters are told to aspire to being the perfect recruit.

“Likewise, Kitai wants nothing more than to join the Rangers and be just like his dad. In the fantasy scientology family that’s what happens — kids follow their parents into the organisation and become perfect members.

“I also noticed Kitai has to call his father Sir — this is a convention in Sea Org, where superiors are addressed as Sir whether male or female.”

Last but not least, Will and Jaden’s futuristic costumes have been said to resemble the tailored uniforms worn by some branches of scientology.

There have long been rumours Will is a supporter of the church, whose followers include Hollywood royalty Tom Cruise and John Travolta.

Now After Earth is being compared to Travolta’s notorious scientology-themed flop Battlefield Earth, released in 2000. Will’s actress wife Jada Pinkett Smith is more open about her association with scientology and, while Will denies he is one of their number, four years ago he gave £80,000 to three projects linked to the church.

He also gave £600,000 to a private school that teaches elements of the creed.

Jacked from The Sun