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Will Smith, who was initially considered to star as Neo inThe Matrix, rejected the offer for Warner Bros. 1999 filmWild Wild West.Directed by theMen in Blackdirector Barry Sonnenfeld and featuring Smith alongside Kevin Kline and Salma Hayek, it was the third most expensive movie made at the time, followingWaterworldandTitanic. However, it was unable to land a favorable response from its audience and critics despite having costly reshoots for the film.
Following the audience reaction from the initial test screenings of the movie, it reportedly underwent costly reshoots. While the process and additional budget did make it one of the most expensive Western films of all time, it did not turn out to be helpful in its reception.
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Warner Bros. Spent Millions on Reshoots For Will Smith Film
Warner Bros. 2017 filmJustice LeagueunderZack Snyder’sDCEU has been in talks for several reasons, one of them also being the infamous reshoots that happened after Snyder had to leave. It reportedly went through two months of reshoots with an additional budget of $25 million.
However, it was not the first film where the studio took such measures, as they did something similar with the 1999 filmWild Wild West.Loosely based on the TV seriesThe Wild Wild West, the movie follows Jim West and Artemus Gordon teaming up to save the world from the evil Dr. Arliss Loveless and his giant mechanical spider.
The reshoots for theWill Smithstarrer happened after its test screenings, where the audience found a lack of humor in the movie. As perSlashFilm, actress Sofia Eng, who portrayed the character of Miss Lippenreider in the film, shared that the studio spent an estimated amount of $20 to $ 40 million for its reshoots to add humor to the story.
It certainly did not turn out as the studio expected. While it did manage to make its money back at the box office, grossing $222 million, the movie is still considered to be a commercial failure. It also landed negative reviews as critics called it “exhausting” and “pointless” while sharing their views about the film.
Read More:“Thank you very much”: Controversial Actor Who Turned Down ‘The Matrix’ Has Keanu Reeves’ Eternal Gratitude
Will Smith CalledWild Wild WestHis Worst Movie
Apart fromWild Wild West, Will Smith has also worked with filmmaker Barry Sonnenfeld in theMen in Blackfranchise. While he described his first film with the filmmaker as one of his best movies, the actor called his 1999 film his worst movie. The Oscar-winning actor toldGQ,
“For the best, I think it is a tie between the first ‘Men in Black’ and ‘The Pursuit of Happyness.’ For different reasons, those are the two almost perfect movies. Worst? ‘Wild Wild West’ is just a thorn in my side. To see myself with chaps… I don’t like it.”
BothMen in BlackandThe Pursuit of Happynesshave been some of Smith’s best films. While his character as Agent J in the sci-fi franchise has been one of his most popular roles,The Pursuit of Happynesslanded him his second Oscar nomination for Best Actor. However,Wild Wild West’sfailure was followed by his hit movies, includingMen in BlackandIndependence Day.
Wild Wild Westis available on Max.
Read More:Will Smith Hits Rock Bottom? After Oscars, $350M Rich Star Invites Fury of Animal Rights Activists: Endangered Species Dies While Being Tranquilized During Documentary Shoot
Source:SlashFilm;GQ
Laxmi Rajput
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3447
Laxmi Rajput is a Senior Writer at FandomWire, with over 3,300 articles published covering film, TV, and pop culture. With a degree in Broadcast Journalism and over three years of experience in content writing, she pivoted to entertainment journalism because let’s be honest, superheroes, sitcoms, and Netflix binges are way more fun. Laxmi frequently covers Marvel, Harry Potter, Star Wars, and popular TV shows, offering both fan-first enthusiasm and thoughtful analysis. Her work often dives into Marvel theories, revisits the genius of The Big Bang Theory, or unpacks the Netflix phenomenon of Stranger Things.
