Bright is a 2017 American urban fantasy action film[4][5] co-produced and directed by David Ayer and written by Max Landis.

The film is set in an alternate present in which humans and mythical creatures co-exist and details an LAPD police officer (portrayed by Will Smith) and his orc partner (Joel Edgerton) confronting racism and police corruption while protecting a magic wand and the elf girl (Lucy Fry) who wields it.

One night, Ward and Jakoby respond to a disturbance at a safe house for the "Shield of Light", an extremist group that prophesies the return of the "Dark Lord", an ancient semi-mythical figure defeated millennia ago.

Using the wand to resurrect Jakoby made Tikka gravely ill, and she can only be healed in a magical pool at the safe house.

This act of bravery is witnessed by the Fogteeth clan, and Dorghu 'bloods' Jakoby (a mark of great respect within Orc society).

In the hospital, Ward and Jakoby, understanding that the FBI want any hint of magical activity kept secret, give Kandomere a doctored account of the previous night's events.

[13] Landis stated in an interview that official production was expected to begin in September 2016, but that they had already shot a small part in Los Angeles.

[20] That same month, Alex Meraz, Matt Gerald, Ike Barinholtz and Enrique Murciano joined the cast of the film in undisclosed roles.

The website's critical consensus reads, "Bright tries to blend fantasy, hard-hitting cop drama, and social commentary—and ends up falling painfully short of the mark on all three fronts.

"[27] On Metacritic the film has a weighted average score of 29 out of 100, based on 26 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".

"[30] David Ehrlich of IndieWire gave the film an "F" and called it the worst film of 2017, saying: "There's boring, there's bad, and then there's Bright ... from the director of Suicide Squad and the writer of Victor Frankenstein comes a fresh slice of hell that somehow represents new lows for them both—a dull and painfully derivative ordeal that often feels like it was made just to put those earlier misfires into perspective.

"[31] Ayer responded enthusiastically to Ehrlich's review, claiming that he desired for the film to receive "a strong reaction either way.

Lazy but not boring, this Net-flick is perfectly, stubbornly mediocre, and less a chore to sit through than either of 2017's Vin Diesel vehicles," referring to XXX: Return of Xander Cage and The Fate of the Furious.

[33] Several publications noted that while critics were harsh in their assessment of the film, viewers liked it and gave positive reactions on social media.

[39] In January 2018 Netflix reported that the popularity of Bright gave "a major lift" to the company's revenue and number of new subscribers in the last quarter of 2017.

It features songs performed by various artists including Future, Camila Cabello, Logic, Marshmello, Ty Dolla Sign, Bebe Rexha, Lil Uzi Vert, Snoop Dogg, and X Ambassadors.

[52] The following month, Netflix confirmed the sequel was moving ahead, with Smith and Edgerton reprising their roles and Ayer directing and writing the script with Evan Spiliotopoulos.

[56] In June 2021, Netflix announced that an anime spin-off film called Bright: Samurai Soul would be produced.