Will Smithhas revealed why he passed on a $839m Christopher Nolan blockbuster - and why he regrets it to this day. Will Smith conquered Hollywood during the late 1990s with a mixture of talent, charisma and smarts. Regarding the latter, he made sure to study the top ten highest-grossing movies of all time, which all had certain ingredients, like being sci-fi movies featuring monsters. TheWill Smith movieformula led to some major hits, includingMen in Black,Independence DayandI Am Legend.
Of course, like any movie star, Smith has fronted his share of duds, includingWild Wild WestandCollateral Beauty.His judgment isn’t foolproof, which has also led Will Smith to pass on huge movies, includingThe Matrix.Smith famously passed onThe Matrixin favor of the blockbuster misfireWild Wild Westas he didn’t quite get the premise - which ranks as one of the greatest mistakes of his career.
Will Smith Turned Down Christopher Nolan’s Inception & Regrets It
Will Smith turned down Chris Nolan’s dream project
For years, there have been reports that Smith was the first actor approached to playInception’sCobb, with Leonardo DiCaprio eventually playing the part. Smith has never commented on this publicly, but in a recent chat with radio stationKISS XTRA,Smith finally confirmed that he turned Nolan down when he was offeredInception.
I don’t think I’ve ever said it publicly but I am going to say it because we are opening up to one another. Chris Nolan brought me Inception first and I didn’t get it. I’ve never said that out loud.
In hindsight, it’s hard to imagine Smith thinkingInceptionwouldn’t work. It had such a unique concept and was the latestChristopher Nolan movie, who was riding high off the success ofThe Dark Knight. For whatever reason,Smith found he didn’t connect to Nolan’s high-concept pitch and passed. Smith also compared his choice to pass onInceptionwithThe Matrixand found that sci-fi movies involving alternate worlds tend to fly over his head.
Now that I think about it, it’s those movies that go into those alternate realities… they don’t pitch well. But I am hurt by those, too.
Other big movies Smith rejected include Tim Burton’sCharlie and the Chocolate Factory(Johnny Depp later took the role),Mr. & Mrs. SmithandPhone Booth; he also declined to return for the 2016 sequelIndependence Day: Resurgence. One of the most fascinating “what ifs” of Smith’s career was his call to pass on Quentin Tarantino’sDjango Unchained. The role was essentially his for the taking, but after talking with Tarantino, the star felt the movie should focus on the central love story. not Django’s bloody quest for revenge.
Our Take On Will Smith Rejecting Inception
Smith knows he made a big mistake
Smith is refreshingly candid about his decision to pass onInception, which would have been a huge movie for him. It might be an example of Smith sticking too rigidly to his own formula, and findingInception’shook lacked some elements he required.
Even the biggest stars need to take a risk occasionally to keep their filmography fresh, and withInception, Smith walked away from what would have been one of his biggest movies. ConsideringWill Smith’snext movie wasMen in Black III, he really should have been a little braver.
Inception
Cast
Inception, directed by Christopher Nolan, features a skilled thief who uses dream-sharing technology to steal corporate secrets. He is tasked with planting an idea into a CEO’s mind, while confronting his troubled past, which threatens the mission and his team.
