Backstories for cinematic masterpieces are rarely made up entirely of rainbows and sunshine; a recent example can be Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl halftime performance. Hitch is no exception in that regard. Will Smith starred in the Andy Tennant directed film, which although a huge hit comprising of a smooth romantic duo, had a very hitch-hockey time in development.As Hitch commemarates its 20th anniversary, Tennant has made some major revelations about what went down on the set. 

With a rock solid standing in the halls of rom-coms, it seems all the romance in Hitch was reserved for the big screens, leaving the cast and crew, more specifically Will Smith and Andy Tennant, scraping even for cordiality off-camera.

Nothing bruises an ego quite like being told how to do the thing you are famous for. The issue emerged when Andy Tennant stepped on to direct Hitch, with a very different concept of a sophisticated romantic comedy, while Will Smith had his own ideas for the picture, and the disparities in their approaches immediately led to creative conflict. "I didn't want cheap jokes, but he didn't trust me," Tennant said in a recent Business Insider interview. But eventually, things turned out great against both of their expectation.

If the conflict is obvious, a third party involved can only make or break the situation. Will Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, unexpectedly helped to bridge the breach between the two. Pinkett Smith frequently seconded Andy Tennant's intuition, which kept the conflict peaceful. However, tensions remained high, with Tennant revealing that he had to reject "crazy story ideas" to keep the movie grounded.

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Despite the tensions, Hitch turned into a rom-com masterpiece—so why did not it get a sequel?

Andy Tennant, the director of Hitch, had a fantastic concept for the sequel. With a global total of $371.6 million and ranking as the tenth-highest-grossing picture of 2005, a sequel appeared inevitable. He even found a method to propose the ideas to huge businesses like Sony, but the most heartbreaking news for him was learning that Will Smith's production firm was preparing a sequel without him.

Andy Tennant and Will Smith's professional connection ended after Hitch, and Hitch 2 was nothing more than a fantasy, much like the sequel of another famous director-actor led duo, Free Guy . However, the film's history stands as a monument to their teamwork. Tennant's globe tour to promote the film remains one of the most unforgettable experiences of his career.

What do you think about the creative clashes between Will Smith and Andy Tennant? Let us know in the comments.