Steven Spielberg didn’t want Will Smith in Men in Black
Yes steven spielberg would have gotten away with it men in black It would have been a giant step in the career of…Chris O’Donnell? The director of cinematographic mega successes thought that the role of Agent J was tailored to the actor who in those years was an interpreter on the rise.
Although it seems strange now to imagine O’Donnell as the partner of Tommy Lee JonesIt made sense at the time. The actor came to star alongside Al Pacino in Women perfume (1992) and had played Dick Greyson/Robin in batmanforever (1995), and it should be noted that he had not yet starred in the forgettable batman and robin (another who recently turned 25).
Barry Sonnenfeld, was responsible for O’Donnell not being part of the project. During a dinner organized by Spielberg between Sonnenfeld and the actor, the director took care to “boycott” his own film: “I told Chris that he was not a very good director and that I did not think the script was very good and if he had other options I shouldn’t do ‘Men in Black,'” Sonnenfeld recalled to the Huffington Post in 2017. “He let it be known the next day that he wasn’t interested.”
From the hand of Bad Boys and Independence Day
Sonnenfeld always thought that Will Smith he had the right mix of humor and charisma to give the movie some spark. The fact that the actor had recently turned from an actor recognized by the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel Air to an action star with bad boysproduced by the same studio behind men in black, made things easier. Smith would eventually join the cast in exchange for $5 million.
That $5 million seemed like a lot for an actor new to the movies. However after Smith’s next film, Independence Daydominated the box office when it opened on July 3, 1996, the deal was undoubtedly cheap.
For good measure, Smith not only helped draw crowds to see men in black for his performance, but was also responsible for its infectious title track, a hit on radio and MTV with its entertaining video.
Men in Black and Will Smith, 25 years later
men in black was able to transform history written by Lowell Cunningham and illustrated by Sandy Carruthersdel for the homonymous comic from 1990 (much darker) in a film that entertained and still entertains today. One of those that aged quite well, especially if we compare it with others from the same era.
Smith was able to keep up with a veteran and reluctant actor like Tommy Lee Jones, forming an indispensable duo of action and comedy cinema. His career reached a new level, one that is reserved for few in the film industry, a weighty name capable of calling people to the movies just for being part of a project, this at least during the time when the names were for on top of shared universes and superhero movies.
Will Smith has had more ups than downs when it comes to his filmography, he himself has referred to the decisions he regrets having made in his career. Industry recognition came with king richard this year, however, everything was overshadowed by the blow to Chris Rock. Time will tell if whoever was Agent J for the first time 25 years ago will be able to turn the situation around and be in the news again for what really matters, his art.
Source: Ambito
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