‘Hitch’ Director Says Will Smith ‘Tried to Back Out Three Days Before Shooting’ and ‘Is Developing a Sequel Without Me’: ‘I Never Heard From Him’ After 2005

by

In a recent interview with Business Insider to commemorate the 20th anniversary of “Hitch”, director Andy Tennant shared that there were creative differences between him and star Will Smith. To put it simply, Tennant wanted to avoid cheap humor, but Smith had doubts about his approach.

Tennant admitted there were challenges in his partnership with Smith. He stated, ‘The films we envisioned individually may not have been as impressive, but the movie we created together surpasses both. It was a fight. Jada Pinkett Smith played a crucial role, supporting some of my decisions during our creative process. There was a phase when I strongly objected to numerous unusual occurrences that were taking place.’

As a cinephile, let me share my take on “Hitch”. In this movie, I, Will Smith, played the role of a seasoned dating consultant, guiding men on how to win over women. However, things took an unexpected turn when I found myself smitten by a sharp-witted columnist, Eva Mendes, and my go-to moves fell flat. Joining me in this romantic comedy were Kevin James and Amber Valletta. “Hitch” was warmly received by critics and raked in a staggering $371.6 million globally, earning it the title of the tenth-highest-grossing film of 2005.

During the making of “Hitch”, Tennant confided to Business Insider that he had clashed with Smith over unconventional plot ideas. He remarked, “There was a script Will presented that I didn’t approve of. Eventually, I expressed my concerns to the studio, admitting that I feared Will might make that movie more than they would fire me. After all, they were already considering letting me go before filming even started. To his credit, we didn’t proceed with that script. I don’t believe I had many supporters in this endeavor.

He expressed that there was immense apprehension when planning a large-scale, expensive romantic comedy involving Will. The project seemed risky, teeming with potential problems. In fact, three days before filming commenced, Will attempted to withdraw from the production. He desired to delay it further for additional work. It was nothing short of chaos.

Regardless of any disagreements, “Hitch” proved to be a hit at the box office and Tennant put forth a plan for a follow-up. However, “Hitch 2” was never produced following the initial film’s worldwide success, an unexpected turn given Smith’s history of successful franchises.

Apparently, Will is working on a follow-up to ‘Hitch’ without me, as Tennant disclosed. I learned about it only three months ago. I had a fantastic concept for the sequel and was discussing it with an executive at Sony when he mentioned that Will’s production company is creating a sequel. Well, that’s just how Hollywood works.

He emphasized that he held no ill-will towards Will. After all, it was Will who offered him the opportunity to work on this film project. Although the task wasn’t a walk in the park for anyone involved, they managed to take the movie across the globe. Even during challenging periods, Will would encourage them with, “Hang tight, we’ll have a blast at the press tour, traveling the world with this.” And indeed, they did travel extensively and it was an unforgettable journey. Once the tour concluded, so too did his association with Will. Since then, he hasn’t received any communication from him.

I’ve contacted the representative of EbMaster for a statement. To read Tennant’s full interview, please visit the Business Insider website.

Read More

2025-02-12 01:16