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Will Smith is one of the big movie stars of all time , but what if he had n’t doneMen in Blackback in 1997 ? Hollywood would in all likelihood be looking rather different , even though much of Smith ’s career may still have gone in the same direction in the two decades since .
It ’s hard to amplify just how big a bargain Will Smith was in the mid - to - late ninety . In 1996 , Smith was star inThe Fresh Prince of Bel - Air , a sitcom that had been built around his talent and character , and made a stir on the large concealment withBad BoysandIndependence Day . The former was a success , but it ’s the latter which sling Smith to a whole other major planet of superstardom , withIndependence Daythe 2nd highest - gross movie ever at the time .
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That running persist in withMen In shameful , beforeWild Wild Westbecame his first real bomb , although it did n’t make too much of a dent in his career . Smith was one of the last great movie stars , but just how would things have panned out for himself and Hollywood if , as originally design , he had n’t doneMen In Black ?
Will Smith Almost Didn’t Do Men In Black
Will Smith himself has revealed that he primitively turned down playing Agent J inMen In Black , which seems like a surprisal given that it ’s not only one of his most iconic role , but that the cinema itself was such a striking . So why did Smith ab initio say no ? It was all because ofIndependence Day , which was released the class beforeMen In Blackhit cinemas . After doing that moving-picture show , Smith did n’t desire to become live as " the alien guy " , and so reject the part inMen In Blackuntil Steven Spielberg came calling .
Spielberg was a producer onMen In Blackthrough his companionship , Amblin Entertainment , and it was theJurassic Parkdirector who convinced Smith to take the role . As per Smith himself , Spielberg told him"don’t apply your brain on this one , habituate mine . “Because of his trust in Spielberg ’s power and track phonograph recording , Smith match to take on the role inMen In Black . Funnily enough , it was Spielberg who convinced Tommy Lee Jones to take on the part of Agent K as well .
Men In Black Would Not Have Been As Big A Success Without Smith
Men In Blackended up being a grown hitting : critics loved it , it receive three Academy Award nominations ( for Best Art Direction , Best Makeup , and Best Original Score ) , and most of all it was successful at the boxwood - office , grossing $ 589.4 million against a budget of $ 90 m , making it the third highest - grossing movie of 1997 ( behind onlyTitanicandThe Lost World : Jurassic Park ) . A big reason for its success , however , was Smith himself .
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Men In Black ’s full-grown strength is the kinship and chemistry between Agents J & K , or more to the stop , Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones . With Jones playing the straight - man to Smith ’s goofier , more offbeat persona , there ’s a gross pairing that elevates the source material . So much of that comes from Smith himself , using his natural charisma and larger - than - life personality .
Smith was n’t the only actor being eyed for the function , however . Friendsstar David Schwimmer was pop the question it , but he turned it down because of scheduling conflicts , whileBatman Forever ’s Chris O’Donnell was another of the studio ’s choices , but managing director Barry Sonnenfeld by choice put him off the role in parliamentary procedure to get Smith . It ’s hard to imagineMen In Blackworking with either of those , or actor of a similar nature , and not Smith , mean the film in all likelihood would ’ve performed much defective at the corner - office , and would n’t have spawned a franchise . Smith made this search good .
Will Smith Wouldn’t Have Done Wild Wild West
Wild Wild Westlives on in infamy across Will Smith ’s filmography , because it ’s one of the biggest duds - both critically and commercially - of his intact career , and yet he in all probability would never have done it if not forMen In Black . The film was directed by Sonnenfeld coming off the back ofMIB , which directly led to him and Smith working together again ( they ’d later go on to collaborate withMen In Black 2&3 ) . If Smith had stuck to his guns and turned downMen In Black , then he would n’t have built that relationship with the director , meaning noWild Wild West . So how much does that impact Smith ’s career ?
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DespiteWild Wild Westbeing a bust , Smith was able to bounce back from it . His next movie , The Legend of Bagger Vance , was another washout , but then came a run that includedAli , man In Black 2 , andBad Boys 2 . Neither of those two blockbusters were a succeeder in the vein ofIndependence Dayor the firstMen In Black , but they were n’t failure either . Still , this showed a changing of the industry , with Smith - alongside Tom Cruise - the last literal motion picture star whose name alone could pull audiences in . If he had n’t doneWild Wild West , and thus not been affected by it bombardment , then it ’s possible he might ’ve keep that status up a minuscule while longer , but it ’s a switching that was go to happen regardless . And , of trend , a big part of that repute was doingMen In Blackin the first place .
Where it might ’ve strike Smith harder is his music career . " Willennium " was a big success , and a major cause for that is the theme song fromWild Wild West , which Smith would n’t have performed if he were n’t in the movie , so Smith ’s music career might ’ve been over even sooner .
Would Will Smith Have Done The Matrix?
If he had n’t done Wild Wild West , then what would Will Smith ’s next move have been ? Quite possiblyThe Matrix . Although it ’s a little mad to imagine whatThe Matrixwould be like with Smith as Neo rather than Keanu Reeves , it could ’ve happened since Smith was in reality the Wachowskis ' first choice for the role . They pitched him the part but Smith , not fully understanding the concept , decided to turn over it down . Keanu became Neo instead , and the rest is pic history .
It ’s not just a unproblematic issue of construct though . This was around the same time as Smith was having dubiety about taking onMen In Black , meaning he was uncertain about his calling trajectory and the relocation he was making . If he ’d hard turned downMen In Black , then it increases his probability of saying yes to another big genre pic inThe Matrix , which brings with it a domino effect . With Smith as Neo , you ’d then have Val Kilmer as Morpheus instead of Laurence Fishburne , and a rather different kind of film .
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Smith inevitably brings his own zip to the roles he inhabits . Indeed , it ’s why most studios and theater director hire him , but it likely would n’t have meshed with the hyper - stylize world ofThe Matrix . By his own admission , Smith would n’t have done the part justice like Reeves did , and that would mean a weaker film as a whole , and one that was n’t quite as radical . In spell , that head to fewer films trying to copy whatThe Matrixdid : its legacy has been felt on everything fromX - MentoInception , while it was among the serial publication - alongside theStar WarsPrequels andLord of the Rings , that led to a greater emphasis in Hollywood on trilogy . Would all that have gone the same way with Smith as Neo ? Probably not .
Regardless of the broader implications on Hollywood that Smith turning downMen In Blackwould’ve had , his own career would ’ve largely followed a similar flight . If he had n’t doneMen In Black , and thus not doneWild Wild West , but instead opted intoThe Matrix , then his mavin condition might ’ve hold out a little while longer . He ’d have doneThe Matrixsequelsrather thanMen In Black 2 , both of which were more successful , but following that he ’d probably still be taking on similar roles : risky Boys 2;I , Robot;Hitch;The Pursuit of Happynessare all go Smith likely makes no matter what , or at least something similar to them , and their respective performances would n’t change too much either direction . There ’d be micro differences in terms of roles , but the large word-painting would remain intact .
Smith ’s career is one of a bonafide motion picture maven who desire to be prise as a serious actor . He follow up his big 90s run of blockbusters by doingAli , which landed him his first Oscar nomination . I Am LegendandHancockled intoSeven Pounds;Men In Black 3,After Earth , andFocusled toConcussion ; he followed upSuicide SquadwithCollateral Beauty . These are the movies he wants to make because he want that credibility as an actor .
Smith ’s movie star might ’ve shone a little bright for a small longer if he ’d doneThe Matrix , or , subsequently , it could ’ve fade immobile withoutMen In Black , but he alone could n’t change the direction Hollywood was heading in , and the pulling business leader of movie stars would ’ve declined either agency eventually . His filmography would n’t be too greatly modify , because he ’d still be conflate blockbuster with serious dramas , albeitThe Matrixlooks a lot better on there thanWild Wild West . There would be some liberal ripple effects , fare out ofThe Matrixespecially , and the life history of some others might ’ve been changed as well with or without Smith ’s light scramble on them , but a mickle of it would be the same too . The biggest differences would be not havingMen In Blackstarring Will Smith , orThe Matrixwith Keanu Reeves , and in that regard , Hollywood would ’ve been a band sorry off .
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