The director of this Will Smith beloved movie opens up about working with him: “He wanted to shut it down. It was madness”
It’s quite common for actors to clash on set with directors or co-stars. One director revealed why he never saw eye to eye with his lead actor.
Celebrity bust-ups are nothing new in Hollywood - sometimes actors just don’t get on with members of the crew or their co-stars.
Will Smith has had his fair share of run-in over the years. The 56-year-old had a long-standing feud with Fresh Prince of Bel-Air co-star Janet Hubert - the pair only burying the hatchet years after the show finished in 2020.
Smith isn’t afraid of conflict or speaking his mind, as Hitch director Andy Tennant attested to in a recent interview with Business Insider.
Making Will Smith’s first rom-com
To mark the movie’s 20th anniversary, Tennant looked back at making the the romantic-comedy which was released in September 2005 and received mixed reviews - with most of criticism about the film’s predictability than Smith’s performance as date doctor, Alex “Hitch” Hitchens.
The filmmaker explained why Will Smith’s first rom-com was almost a complete disaster. “I think there was a lot of fear doing a big, expensive romantic comedy with Will. It was fraught with peril,” Tennant recalled. “Will tried to back out three days before we started shooting. He wanted to shut it down and work on it some more. It was madness”.
Filming began in March 2004 and lasted just under four months. Right from the start, the director could sense there would be difficulties as he occasionally didn’t see eye to eye with his lead star - usually about the script and storyline.
'HITCH' starring Will Smith, Eva Mendes, and Kevin James was released in theaters 20 years ago, today pic.twitter.com/Si4DKrPL6E
— Lights, Camera, Barstool (@LightsCameraPod) February 11, 2025
Will Smith’s disagreements with Hitch director Andy Tennant
“There was a draft that Will brought in that I was not a fan of," Tennant says. “I finally told the studio that I was more afraid of Will making that version of the movie than I was about them firing me. Because I knew they were right on the edge of firing me before we even began shooting. And to Will’s credit, we didn’t go with that draft. I don’t think I was ever in anyone’s favor.”
Overall, the 69-year-old remembers making Hitch as an uncomfortable experience which wasn’t helped by on-set friction with Smith.
“We had our difficulties,” Tennant explained, regarding his working relationship with Smith. “The movie I wanted to make and the movie Will wanted to make, neither one of those movies is as good as the movie we made together. It was a battle. [Smith’s wife] Jada was a big help. She kind of seconded some of my instincts. There was a time during prep when I was pushing back on a lot of crazy shit that was happening. I didn’t want cheap jokes, but he didn’t trust me.”
In spite of all of the disagreements during production, Hitch did well at the box office, grossing $371.6 million globally and ending as the year’s 10th-highest-grossing movie. It also remains the biggest hit of Tennant’s career behind the camera, grossing almost double what Sweet Home Alabama (2002) made.
“Once we started filming, it was a bunch of good, creative people doing the best they could. There were some debates but there were things that turned out really funny. You keep all the really fun stuff, you have a good movie, but it was a wild ride,” he concluded.
Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.
Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.
Complete your personal details to comment
Your opinion will be published with first and last names