“If I were you, I would take the other movie”: Men in Black Director Had to Lie to Batman Star to Get Will Smith for Iconic Role Against Steven Spielberg’s Wish

Perhaps the complicated and torrid events surrounding Will Smith and the Oscars Slapgate have died down among the masses but it still manages to hold a brief amount of fascination for the do-gooder nature that the actor is recognized for and his squeaky clean image among the deluge of Hollywood scandals. However, the path that began from the sets of his 90s sitcom to the stage of that fateful Academy Award was paved by some culturally significant films that remain untarred by the events of that night. One of those films happens to be Men in Black.

Men in Black Director Manipulates Hollywood For Will Smith

With the on-screen brilliance that Will Smith garnered over the years after collecting box office blockbusters like Eggs on Easter, the otherwise quirky comedian on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air became one of the most coveted leading men of Hollywood. His name resonated with success on a level that was considered untouchable. But it wasn’t until the unanimously recognizable sci-fi film series, Men in Black, that Smith became a true Hollywood star.

In the run-up to the film’s production, Men in Black already had the backing of Steven Spielberg and Columbia Pictures. And both wanted the up-and-coming star and heartthrob of the 90s, Chris O’Donnell who would be known as the Robin to George Clooney‘s Batman. But director Barry Sonnenfeld (with the aid of his wife) had settled upon the perfect lead pairing for his film: Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith. Convincing two of the biggest Hollywood powerhouses to reconsider their choices from one of the most coveted emerging film stars to a barely recognized TV actor was going to be difficult. And so Sonnenfeld did the next best thing: trick O’Donnell into backing out.

I had to go to dinner at The Four Seasons hotel in Los Angeles with Chris O’Donnell, who was deciding between Men in Black and another movie. And I told him, ‘Here’s the truth. I’m not a very good director. I really don’t have a clue. I don’t think the script is very good. If I were you, I would take the other movie.'”

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Fortunately, the lie worked and without O’Donnell in the picture, Columbia greenlit the production with Will Smith in the lead beside the grumpy yet ever-lovable Tommy Lee Jones. The 1997 film went on to fetch $589.4 million and spawn a franchise ending with Men in Black III in 2012. An eventual awakening of the beast with Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson in Men in Black: International (2019) was critically and commercially panned.

Will Smith Plans To Stay Relevant in Hollywood

Beyond the Slapgate and the continuous social media harassment regarding his complicated spousal relationship, revelations on the controversial Red Table Talk episodes, and publicly outed “entanglements,” Will Smith plans to stay as relevant as one can when they win an Oscar and get banned from the Academy Awards on the same day. The actor’s rough patch lasted approximately 3 months during which projects were suspended. Later, his Apple TV film, Emancipation, was received with critical appreciation.

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The actor has also been traveling the globe shooting his Nat Geo project, Pole to Pole, and filming the upcoming fourth and potentially final installment of the Bad Boys franchise with longtime co-star, Martin Lawrence. He is also set to star in Fast and Loose and the sequel to Disney’s highly successful live-action adaptation, Aladdin 2.

Men in Black is currently available for streaming on Prime Video.

Source: Vulture