‘Hitch’ Director Recalls “Difficulties” Working With Will Smith & Why Actor Tried To “Back Out” 3 Days Before Filming Began

Hitch director Andy Tennant recalls the “difficulties” in filming Hitch and working with Will Smith.

In a new interview, the filmmaker looked back at how it was shooting the 2005 romantic comedy that also starred Eva Mendes, Kevin James, Amber Valletta, Michael Rapaport, and Adam Arkin.

“We had our difficulties. 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,” Tennant told Business Insider. “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. A lot of crazy shit that was happening.”

Tennant made Hitch after Sweet Home Alabama and detailed that some of the “crazy shit” happening started right from the get-go.

“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,” the director said. “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.”

Tennant claimed that Smith “tried to back out three days before we started shooting” to work on the script, adding, “He wanted to shut down and work on it some more. It was madness.”

However, the filmmaker said that once filming started, “it was a bunch of good creative people doing the best they could. There were some debates but there were things that turned out really funny. You keep all the really fun stuff you have a good movie, but it was a wild ride.”

Although both Tennant and Smith feared that Hitch would be a flop at the box office, it turned out to be a hit with audiences receiving positive reviews from critics and grossing $371.6M worldwide.