Will Smith is a big name in Hollywood and has maintained a highly successful career as an actor. He has acted in some of the most popular and acclaimed films such as Independence Day, Enemy of the State, and the big franchises including Bad Boys and Men in Black. His versatility as a dramatic actor was showcased in films such as The Pursuit of Happyness, Concussion, Emancipation, and King Richard. The latter won him the Academy Award for Best Actor.
With such an illustrious career, one would assume that Smith avoided any pitfalls in making major decisions in his film choices. But despite his huge success, some films of his proved to be major disappointments and turned out to be stumbling blocks in his career.
Will Smith’s 5 Worst Films That Flopped Miserably Despite Having a Stellar Cast
Despite Will Smith‘s huge movie star status with many highly successful films, he had his share of major disappointments that turned out to be flops at the box office. In seeing a list prepared by Rotten Tomatoes about Smith’s most disappointing features, one starts to question why he even decided to do these films in the first place. Smith’s 5 worst films include,
After Earth (2013)
This film was a trainwreck from start to finish. Despite having a promising premise that also featured Will Smith’s son Jaden Smith, everything about this film was bad and it scored a dismal 12% on Rotten Tomatoes. The film only managed to gross $243 million against its $130 million production budget (according to Box Office Mojo). Smith has called the film the most painful failure of his career.
Wild Wild West (1999)
Will Smith’s lackluster attempt at a Western proved to be fatal to his career. The film which boasted a cast that featured Salma Hayek, and Kenneth Branagh failed miserably at the box office and received negative reviews from critics, scoring a 16% on Rotten Tomatoes. It only managed to gross $222 million against its $170 million production budget (according to Box Office Mojo). This film proved to be a major misfire in his career.
Gemini Man (2019)
This underwhelming sci-fi action thriller did not live up to its promise of delivering a pulse-pounding and exciting film. The film despite having Will Smith in a double role, one as a younger version of himself along with Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Clive Owen received negative reviews from critics, scoring only 26% on Rotten Tomatoes. It became a huge box office bomb grossing only $173 million against its $138 million production budget (according to Box Office Mojo).
Seven Pounds (2008)
Will Smith had a hard time trying to make this illogical film watchable. The concept of helping seven strangers to make amends for his grave mistake felt forced and clumsy. The film which also starred Rosario Dawson, Woody Harrelson, and Barry Pepper scored a disappointing 27% on Rotten Tomatoes and has not aged well amongst Smith’s other superior works.
The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000)
This Robert Redford-directed sports film had Will Smith playing Matt Damon’s mentor. It was highly criticized for relying on the trope of the ‘Magical Negro’. The film received overwhelmingly negative reviews scoring only 43% on Rotten Tomatoes. It was also a huge box office bomb grossing only $39 million against its $80 million production budget. (according to Box Office Mojo)
Will Smith’s Recent and Upcoming Films
Will Smith’s most recent works are his Academy Award-winning film King Richard and the historical drama Emancipation. Both films had Smith play intense and emotionally challenging roles, which he pulled off extremely well. He was praised by critics for his ability to convey so much by doing so little.
He is set to return to the Bad Boys franchise with its fourth installment which is scheduled to release in theatres on June 14, 2024.
Sources: Rotten Tomatoes, Box Office Mojo
