Hitch Director Reveals Conflict with Will Smith During Production

Andy Tennant, director of the 2005 romantic comedy 'Hitch,' spoke candidly about his tumultuous working relationship with Will Smith during the film's production. He described their collaboration as a 'battle,' noting that they had significant creative disagreements over the direction of the film, including Smith's preference for 'cheap jokes.' Despite their differences, Tennant acknowledged that the final product benefited from their struggles, stating that the film they made together was better than either of their original visions. He revealed that Smith even attempted to back out of the project just days before filming was set to start. Since the film's promotional tour, Tennant and Smith have not spoken, and Tennant learned recently that Smith is developing a sequel without his involvement, despite having submitted his own proposal for a follow-up. Tennant credited Jada Pinkett Smith for helping to mediate some of the conflicts during filming.