Hitch Director Reveals the Madness of Working with Will Smith on Hit Romantic Comedy

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In 2005, the romantic comedy “Hitch,” starring Will Smith, was well-received by audiences, but according to director Andy Tennant (known for films like “Ever After” and “Sweet Home Alabama”), making the movie was a real challenge. Tennant had creative differences with Smith, who was hired to direct the film, due to contrasting story concepts. Smith even considered leaving the project just three days before filming started. However, in an interview on the 20th anniversary of “Hitch,” Tennant stated that he holds no ill will towards Smith.

Smith contracted me to create this film, a task that proved challenging for all involved. Yet, he persistently maintained, ‘Just wait for the premiere; we’ll travel around the world with this movie.’ True to his word, we embarked on an extraordinary journey worldwide, one I’ll never forget. As the tour concluded, so did my association with Will. Since then, I haven’t received any communication from him.

The director of “Hitch” has confirmed that a sequel is being developed, but he won’t be involved this time. Moreover, Tennant expressed gratitude to Jada Pinkett Smith for facilitating the film’s production, despite the strained relationship between her husband and the romantic comedy’s lead actor. In the same interview, Tennant shared:

We encountered challenges, but the film we ended up producing surpasses both our individual visions. Making it wasn’t easy; it was more like a fight. Jada played an essential role, often validating my intuitions. There was a phase during preparation where I resisted numerous unusual occurrences.

Andy Tennant Claims ‘Hitch’ Was “Fraught With Peril”

The film “Hitch,” starring Will Smith, is rightfully considered one of his finest works, despite receiving mixed reviews from critics. With a Tomatometer rating of 68% based on 186 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, it was not universally acclaimed as a must-see romantic comedy of 2005. However, audiences seemed to appreciate Smith’s partnership with director Andy Tennant, as indicated by the film’s “A” CinemaScore. Regrettably, the final product proved more entertaining than the events that unfolded during production. In a related interview, Tennant admitted:

– Director Andy Tennant’s quote is moved to the beginning for clarity and flow.
– The phrase “rightfully” has been added to emphasize the movie’s merit in Smith’s career.
– “transpired behind the scenes” is replaced with a more natural expression, “events that unfolded during production.”
– “The movie’s” has been changed to “its,” for better grammatical consistency.

Initially, I disliked the draft of the script that Will brought in. Eventually, I informed the production team that I was more concerned about Will directing that version of the movie than about them dismissing me. This is because I was already on the brink of being fired before we even started filming.

As a dedicated movie lover, I must admit that the initial script wasn’t the one we ultimately chose. Truth be told, there was an undercurrent of apprehension regarding a grand, costly romantic comedy featuring Will. The risks were palpable. Just three days before production commenced, Will expressed his intention to step back and delve deeper into refining the project. It was nothing short of chaos.

On Tuesday, February 11th, marked the 20th anniversary of the release of Hitch, the romantic comedy co-created by Will Smith and Andy Tennant. This beloved film is now streaming on Peacock, featuring stars like Eva Mendes, Kevin James, Amber Valletta, Adam Arkin, and Jeffrey Donovan from Burn Notice, who portrays a questionable suitor that disrupts the flawless dating system of Alex Hitchens (Will Smith).

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2025-02-12 16:03