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"Why I Turned Down The Matrix" - Will Smith
- Thread starter Xion385
- Start date
I just looked at Will Smith's imdb page and it's crazy how many mediocre movies he has made in the last 15 or so years. What a waste.
Nobody got it worse than Sean Connery. He was offered Gandalf in LOTR, with a sizable percentage on the gross, fifteen percent, which would've netted him $450 million after all was said and one. Like Will Smith he turned it down because he didn't understand the material (somehow). He was so beat up over it he didn't reject the next time somebody offered him a nerdy film: The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Movie was so bad and such a box office bomb that Connery ended up retiring from acting over it.
Actually, I do remember reading his explanation in this article, but I wonder if there was any reluctance to take on a role that saw his character degraded and dehumanised. He typically likes to play uncomplicated heroes. From the article:
In fairness I don't blame him balking if he's being honest. If I was an A-list rising actor and I heard "360 degree cameras" from directors untested in action I'd be nervous af too.
The the Stuntmans and trainers since they actually had such a huge central role in that movie.
I mean, if they pitched it as "we spin the camera around you frozen in time" that wasn't a bad pitch in that a) it got the film made, and b) that pan around shot was perhaps one of the most gratuitously parodied scenes of the 2000s. It clearly was influential, and along with the "bullet time" stuff probably the most lasting impression the films made.
But as an actor I can imagine thinking that it's a terrible pitch.
Pretty cool. I doubt the pitch was as bad as he's making it seem.
Would have loved to see how that changes the movie. Reminds me of a lot of the early casting decisions in the Godfather, not that The Matrix is nearly as important or good, but just one of those things like ... What if Dustin Hoffman had played Michael Corleone and Lawrence Olivier had played Vito Corleone or if Deniro had played Michael instead of playing young Vito in Godfather II... Just, what things would be different?
Yeah... Although, in 1997, or whenever the Matrix was being pitched, I'm sure the studio was worried about it seeming like "A black thing," or, alternatively, that it would be portrayed (maybe rightly? Maybe wrongly?) as white people v. black people film... Given that the primary antagonists are intentionally generic clone-like people wearing suits who are aggressively trying to assassinate the protagonists. Like, I can see how the studio might be weary of two upstart directors handling a subject like that effectively. Hell, even today, 20+ years later there's not a lot of movies with two black leads.
Would have loved to see how that changes the movie. Reminds me of a lot of the early casting decisions in the Godfather, not that The Matrix is nearly as important or good, but just one of those things like ... What if Dustin Hoffman had played Michael Corleone and Lawrence Olivier had played Vito Corleone or if Deniro had played Michael instead of playing young Vito in Godfather II... Just, what things would be different?
Yeah... Although, in 1997, or whenever the Matrix was being pitched, I'm sure the studio was worried about it seeming like "A black thing," or, alternatively, that it would be portrayed (maybe rightly? Maybe wrongly?) as white people v. black people film... Given that the primary antagonists are intentionally generic clone-like people wearing suits who are aggressively trying to assassinate the protagonists. Like, I can see how the studio might be weary of two upstart directors handling a subject like that effectively. Hell, even today, 20+ years later there's not a lot of movies with two black leads.
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Ok this was good, great energy and funny story about popping out her baby and being like "Momma hitting the gym we good to go"
The Wachowskis are great at pitching. I mean, they got Cloud Atlas and Jupiter Ascending funded. That's insane.
Also Keanu gave a way a large chunk of money to people who worked on the Matrix Sequels and I believe either hospital or charity or both when his sister was ill
sorry I wasn't clear – I meant, his agents/people didn't tell him that The Matrix wasn't another "alien movie", otherwise why the pre-amble? honestly I think they didn't really help him out here.
The Matrix is a tough pitch when you don't have the movie itself as context. Hard to blame Smith or the Wachowskis here.
That is honestly the first time I've ever seen that opinion expressed. Speaking strictly for at the time (haven't seen John wick or that Tai chi one) but yeah he was considered fine when you look at the fact he wasn't a martial artist but he was still pretty stiff overall.
He was just giving an example of when he turned down a movie and it turned out well for him in the end because he was convinced to do it anyway, compared to the time he turned down The Matrix and he made Wild Wild West instead..
lol this whole video reeks of bullshit. I highly doubt the only thing The Wachowskis pitched him was a stoner's impression of bullet time.
I look forward to Smith's made up recollection of Tarantino pitching him Django next.
I look forward to Smith's made up recollection of Tarantino pitching him Django next.
Yeah but think about the music video of him and Sisqo dancing with all the agents.
And what if Keanu went on to do WWW.
And what if Keanu went on to do WWW.
Gangly? Nah. He should have just bulked up like he did for Ali and one-punched KO'd anyone who tried to do those fancy fighting moves on him.
That's what I'm saying!
I'm their biggest fan but even I think Jupiter Ascending was garbage, how they did get such a big budget for it!? lol...
I'm sad they seem like they're semi-retired these days. They could only pitch so much... :(
EDIT: I don't know why I said 'semi', I think they're literally retired with no projects in the works...
Morpheus is classic but I bet Kilmer would have also been a dope Morpheus
Oh man, if Will got this gig I wonder if we would have had a Will Smith Matrix song. What a magical disaster that would have been
Oh man, if Will got this gig I wonder if we would have had a Will Smith Matrix song. What a magical disaster that would have been
I lost it when he said Wild Wild West. That comedic timing. At least WWW should his junk, that was something.
This breaks my heart, but then again Ian McKellen nailed the role.
Yeah there are a couple of moments in the film I couldn't see Will pulling off, Will is charismatic, but Foxx is a better actor across the board imo. Wonder why a guy like him would avoid such characters though...
The story was pretty cool, but the best thing I learned in this thread is that Jada Pinkett Smith has a Metal band.
I mean will still has a brand. Playing a slave turned bounty hunter killing white people isn gonna sit well with your white viewers who still see you as the fresh prince. Jamie foxx isn't Will Smith levels of mainstream notoriety. Disney isn't asking him to be the Gentry
Let's be honest, Django wasn't even the main character of his own movie despite being the titular character.
It's not like he made a horrible choice there. What has Django done for Jamie Foxx's career, exactly?
It's not like he made a horrible choice there. What has Django done for Jamie Foxx's career, exactly?
I don't think the point is necessarily that the pitch was bad. Just that Smith didn't get it. It was strange. I mean, they got a massive budget and an all star cast for a reason.
This happens to a listers all the time. They miss out on great roles they regret. Its easy to say you made a mistake in hindsight.
This happens to a listers all the time. They miss out on great roles they regret. Its easy to say you made a mistake in hindsight.
I think this is what people are missing. It's easy to say "bullet time". But when that doesn't exist, describing it is really hatd
So the character with by far the most screen time isn't the main character? Don't get me wrong, Waltz has a lot of screen time as supporting cast, but trying to say Django wasn't the main character is plain dumb.
Pretty much. Django is the sidekick to christoph waltz and Waltz then kills Candie. Django as a role is kind of beneath an A list actor like Foxx or smith but that's just my opinion. You get a young up and coming actor like John boyega etc to play djanho
I was afraid they were gonna accidentally dead-name them but thankfully that didn't happen.
Don't forget that the Wachowskis hired multiple comic book artists to storyboard every single shot of the movie, years before.
Will is being a little disingenuous in implying all he knew about The Matrix was the "stopping in mid air" camera tech.
Will is being a little disingenuous in implying all he knew about The Matrix was the "stopping in mid air" camera tech.
Embellish a bit to tell a funny story? Sure. However there's no reason for Will to bullshit the pitch though. They probably explained the basic premise of the Matrix but spent the majority of the pitch trying to explain the revolutionary tech/type of action Will would be doing as the star. Any interview/oral history about the Wachowskis from that time showed that they were awkward. If they didn't show Will their 600 page comic or have Joel Silver in the room I'm sure something could have gotten lost in translation.
Smith recollection about turning down Django probably boils down to him not wanting to be in a movie where "Nigger" is said 100+ times.
I'd argue Keanu is in a better place career-wise than Will is.