Will Smith is a superstar who has been dazzling audiences from day one, and 2024 proved just how bright his shine can be. With Bad Boys: Ride or Die hitting the scene, he turned a box office snooze-fest into a cultural hotspot for movie lovers. And back in the '90s, Smith was on every director's wishlist, solidifying those superstar genes fans have come to know and love. But even legends have their flops, and for Smith, that was Wild Wild West, directed by Barry Sonnenfeld. 

Fast forward to now, and Sonnenfeld has finally spilled the beans on what went haywire with the film, decades later.

Barry Sonnenfeld released a memoir, Best Possible Place, Worst Possible Time: True Stories from a Career in Hollywood, revealing how personality clashes sank Wild Wild West with Will Smith as has been recently reported by Slash Film. He reminisced how their desire to team up again led them to this, which faced some drama with the original star of the TV show. They sorted that out but then came a casting curveball when Kevin Kline stepped in to replace George Clooney.

Sonnenfeld calls Kevin Kline a “lovely, talented guy,” but notes he was just in it for the paycheck. Tensions flared on set as Kline and co-star Kenneth Branagh fancied themselves the top Shakespearean actors alive, creating serious frustration. To make matters worse, Kline struggled to play the straight man, and there was a major lack of chemistry between the leads, even though it was supposed to be a buddy cop flick set in the 1800s.

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Sonnenfeld also revealed that he had to pull Smith aside to play the straight man, which only made things worse and sent the film spiraling down the drain.

In Barry Sonnenfeld’s memoir, Best Possible Place, Worst Possible Time: True Stories from a Career in Hollywood, he shares a wild tale about having to break the news to Will Smith that Kevin Kline was trying to level up to Smith’s funny bones in Wild Wild West. This meant Smith had to play the straight man, which he agreed to, but Sonnenfeld knew that he shines brightest when he is his charismatic self. 

Having to tone it down for Kline to take center stage reportedly took a toll on the film. Wild Wild West was one of the most expensive westerns ever made, with the potential to be a massive hit of the decade! While Sonnenfeld's memoir is packed with all sorts of behind-the-scenes stories from other projects, including challenges he faced filming Men in Black, nothing quite beats the drama of Wild Wild West.

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What do you think of Barry Sonnenfeld's reasons behind Will Smith's Wild Wild West's subpar performance? Let us know in the comments below!