Will Smith is developing a sequel to ‘Hitch’. The original film grossed over $370 million worldwide at the box office, making it one of the most successful romantic comedies of the 2000s.
The 56-year-old actor played the lead role in the 2005 romantic comedy film and director Andy Tennant revealed that he learnt that the Oscar-winning star is moving forward with a flick that does not involve him behind the camera. Tennant’s previous directing credits include ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ and ‘Ever After.’
“I submitted a proposal for a sequel, which was quite fun, but I guess Will is developing a ‘Hitch’ sequel without me,” Tennant told Business Insider. “I just found out about it three months ago. I had a really good idea for a sequel, and I was talking to an executive at Sony, and he said Will’s production company is developing a sequel. Hey, that’s Hollywood.” The original ‘Hitch’ was produced by Columbia Pictures, a subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment.
The ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ filmmaker admits that he has not had contact with Will since they finished work on the film but does not “have anything against” the ‘Independence Day’ star. The movie remains one of Smith’s highest-grossing romantic comedies to date.
“He hired me to make this movie. It was not an easy job for anybody, but we went around the world with this movie,” Tennant explained. “Even in the hard times he’d always say, ‘Wait until the junket. We’re gonna go around the world with this’ – and we did, and it was great. It was the most amazing trip I had ever been on. And when it was over, my time with Will was over. That was it. And I have never heard from him since.” The film’s international promotional tour covered 12 countries in three weeks.
The director explained that he had “difficulties” making the movie with Will as they clashed over ideas for the story. The production spanned over 80 shooting days across various New York City locations.
“We had our difficulties,” he said. “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 (Pinkett Smith) 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 s*** that was happening.” The original film featured Eva Mendes and Kevin James in supporting roles.
Tennant detailed how he and the ‘I Am Legend’ star came into conflict over “crazy story ideas”. The film’s script went through multiple revisions during pre-production.
“There was a draft that Will brought in that I was not a fan of. 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,” he recalled. “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.” The final screenplay was credited to Kevin Bisch.
“There was a lot of fear doing a big, expensive romantic comedy with Will,” Tennant continued. “It was fraught with peril. Will tried to back out three days before we started shooting. He wanted to shut down and work on it some more. It was madness.” The film’s budget was reportedly around $70 million, making it one of the most expensive romantic comedies at the time.
The announcement of a ‘Hitch‘ sequel comes as Smith continues to expand his production portfolio through Westbrook Studios, his production company founded in 2019. The original film remains a favorite among romantic comedy fans, regularly appearing on streaming platforms’ most-watched lists.
