Will Smith apologises for Wild Wild West

Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey

Get our The Life Cinematic email for free

Please enter a valid email address

Please enter a valid email address

SIGN UP

I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice

Despite having an absolute banger for a lead soundtrack song, Wild Wild West was, let’s face it, not Will Smith’s finest hour.

Now that he’s busy being an Important Actor and boycotting award ceremonies for not getting nominated for only half decent dramas, he’s ready to admit that the bizarre Western was fuelled exclusively by a desire for box office glory.

Speaking at a Cannes Lions session this week, Smith said: “I had so much success that I started to taste global blood and my focus shifted from my artistry to winning. I wanted to win and be the biggest movie star, and what happened was there was a lag - around Wild Wild West time - I found myself promoting something because I wanted to win versus promoting something because I believed in it.”

He went on to muse about the nature of film marketing in the social media age: “Smoke and mirrors in marketing and sales is over. People are going to know really quickly and globally whether a product keeps its promises.

“I consider myself a marketer. My career has been strictly being able to sell my products globally, and it’s now in the hand of fans. I have to be in tune with their needs and not trick them into going to see Wild Wild West.”

Interestingly, though, Smith made no such apology for After Earth, Seven Pounds or Hancock.