Hitch Director Says Will Smith Almost Backed Out of ‘Hitch’ 3 Days Before Filming

Hitch, one of the most successful romantic comedies of the 2000s, almost didn’t happen as planned. As Hitch approaches its 20th anniversary, director Andy Tennant recently shared that Will Smith, the film’s lead, wanted to back out just three days before shooting began.

Smith’s Last-Minute Doubts

Tennant, known for Sweet Home Alabama, recalled how Will Smith was hesitant to move forward. “He wanted to shut down and work on it some more. It was madness,” Tennant told Business Insider. The director feared that the movie would ruin both his and Smith’s careers.

Battling Differences

Smith’s concerns stemmed from creative disagreements. He initially brought in a script draft that Tennant disliked. 
“I told the studio I was more afraid of making Will’s version of the movie than being fired,” Tennant admitted. With support from Jada Pinkett Smith, they found a middle ground that ultimately made Hitch a hit.

Unexpected Challenges on Set

The production faced additional hurdles, including scrambling for shooting locations. The famous doorstep scene between Smith and Kevin James was filmed in front of Sarah Jessica Parker’s house after she casually agreed to let them shoot there.“

We didn’t have a location to shoot this. We didn’t have permission. We had nothing,” Tennant remembered. “Will and I went to a brownstone we liked, walked up to the door, knocked on the door to see if we could get permission to shoot there, and it turned out to be Sarah Jessica Parker’s house. So she was like, ‘Hi!’ And we were like, ‘Hi, can we shoot on your doorstep?’ And she was like, ‘Ah, yeah.’”

A Box Office Surprise

Despite behind-the-scenes struggles, Hitch earned over $370 million worldwide, including $192 million from the international box office on a $70 million budget. The film proved skeptics wrong about romantic comedies with Black leads and remains a beloved classic.

A Sequel Without the Original Director?

While Eva Mendes has expressed interest in Hitch 2, Tennant revealed that Smith is developing a sequel without him. Tennant explained that the film’s international press tour marked the end of their time together.“

When it was over, my time with Will was over. That was it,” he said. “And I have never heard from him since.”

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