What Does Will Smith Really Think About Wild Wild West?

This summer marks the 20th Anniversary of the hit blockbusterIndependence Day, which turned Will Smith into a massive superstar overnight. It became the first movie ever to gross more than $500 million worldwide, and, naturally, after that movie started raking it in at thebox office, everyone wantedWill Smithin their movies. Over the next few years,Will Smithwould go on to star in hits such asMen in BlackandEnemy of the State, but the actor recently addressed one of his missteps, the 1999 Western action adaptation of theWild Wild WestTV show which brought in some sci-fi elemenst to boot.

Wild Wild Westwasn’t an absolute bomb in theaters, but it still came in far below the rest of his hits over the late 1990s.Wild Wild Westtook in $113.4 million domestically and $222.1 million worldwide, from a hefty $170 million budget back in 1999.Will Smithstarred as James West in this remake of the hit TV series of the same name, leading a cast that also includedSalma HayekandKevin Kline. During an appearance at Cannes Liones, courtesy ofThe Hollywood Reporter,Will Smithrevealed thatWild Wild Westwas a low point in his career.

“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. … Smoke and mirrors in marketing and sales is over. People are going to know really quickly and globally whether a product keeps its promises. 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 seeWild Wild West.”

It didn’t takeWill Smithlong to rebound fromWild Wild West, starring asMuhammad Aliin the 2001 biopicAli, which earned the actor an Oscar nomination. The actor would still go on to work withWild Wild WestdirectorBarry Sonnenfeldagain with 2002’sMem in Black IIand 2012’sMen in Black III. It’s interesting to note that these statement come just a few months before one of the star’s most ambitious projects, the comic book adaptationSuicide Squad.

In quite a big departure for the actor,Will Smithplays the villainousDeadshot, who becomes part of Task Force X, aSuicide Squadassembled by Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) to pull off near-impossible jobs. We’ll have to wait and see howSuicide Squaddoes in theaters, when it opens August 5, but early buzz has indicated that it will certainly do much better thanWild Wild West.