‘Hitch’ director reveals he feuded with Will Smith over ‘crazy s–t’: Filming ‘was a battle’

“Hitch” director Andy Tennant says working with Will Smith was quite the “wild ride.”

Tennant revealed in a recent interview with Business Insider that he and the “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” actor didn’t get along while collaborating on the hit 2005 romantic comedy, which also starred Kevin James and Eva Mendes.

The director, 69, said he and Smith, 56, had disagreements about the creative direction of the film from the very beginning.

“I didn’t want cheap jokes, but he didn’t trust me,” Tennant said in the interview published Tuesday, noting that they went back and forth about the script throughout the filming process.

Andy Tennant revealed he and Will Smith did not see eye to eye while filming “Hitch.” ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection Smith starred in the Tennant-directed romantic comedy in 2005. ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

According to the “Fool’s Gold” filmmaker, Smith “tried to back out” of the project just three days before they started shooting.

“He wanted to shut down and work on it some more,” he told the outlet. “It was madness.”

Although they “had [their] difficulties,” Tennant admitted that their differing opinions ultimately made the movie stronger in the end.

“The movie I wanted to make and the movie Will wanted to make neither one of those movies is as good as the movie we made together,” he said. “It was a battle.”

Smith allegedly tried to pull out of the film just days before they began filming. Todd Plitt/Getty Images Tennant said there were creative battles behind the scenes from the very start. ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

Tennant credited the “Aladdin” star’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, for being “a big help” behind the scenes.

“She kind of seconded some of my instincts,” Tennant told the outlet. “There was a time during prep when I was pushing back. A lot of crazy s—t that was happening.”

The “Sweet Home Alabama” director said Will came to him with a lot of “crazy story ideas,” including a full “draft” that he “was not a fan of.”

“I finally told the studio that I was more afraid of Will making that version of the movie than I was about them firing me,” he revealed. “Because I knew they were right on the edge of firing me before we even began shooting. And to Will’s credit, we didn’t go with that draft. I don’t think I was ever in anyone’s favor.”

“A lot of crazy s—t that was happening,” the filmmaker told Business Insider. Getty Images Tennant revealed they were constantly changing and rewriting the script throughout the filming process. WireImage

Thankfully, things slightly improved once they started shooting.

“It was a bunch of good creative people doing the best they could,” Tennant said.

However, they were still constantly changing the script — even scrapping entire scenes on the day of filming.

Tennant revealed that Will’s famous front porch kiss with James was “just an idea” concocted that morning.

“We didn’t have a location to shoot this. We didn’t have permission. We had nothing,” Tenant said.

The famous kiss between Smith and Kevin James wasn’t in the script until hours before they shot it. Columbia Pictures Tennant thought the film was going to be a “disaster.” Barry Wetcher

The crew unknowingly stumbled upon a beautiful brownstone and “knocked on the door to see if [they] could get permission to shoot there.”

“It turned out to be Sarah Jessica Parker’s house,” he said. “So she was like, ‘Hi!’ And we were like, ‘Hi, can we shoot on your doorstep?’ And she was like, ‘Ah, yeah.'”

Following weeks of similar impromptu shoots, Tennant left filming feeling defeated.

“I swear to God, when we wrapped that movie, I called my wife and said, ‘I’ve just ruined my career, and I’ve ruined Will Smith’s career,'” he reflected.

However, it ended up dominating the box office. ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection “Hitch” made over $370 million worldwide. Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

He said the “Bad Boys” actor “felt the same way” and “walked off the set” without saying goodbye.

“He thought this movie is a disaster,” the screenwriter recalled. “We wrapped and it was depressing,”

However, the editors later called him and told him it was not only salvageable but actually “hilarious.”

“I think I started crying,” Tennant said.

He later reunited with Will at “a test screening in Vegas,” where they were met with rave reviews.

Despite their disagreements, Tennant doesn’t “have anything against Will.” Getty Images The two have not spoken in nearly 20 years. REUTERS

“The movie ends and the audience has completely embraced the movie,” he said. “People were cheering when the movie ended.”

Following a “great” worldwide press junket, the movie was released around Valentine’s Day with the biggest opening weekend ever for a rom-com at the time — earning over $371 million.

“I don’t have anything against Will,” Tennant said. “He hired me to make this movie. It was not an easy job for anybody, but we went around the world with the movie.”

“And when it was over, my time with Will was over. That was it. And I have never heard from him since.”

Reps for the “I Am Legend” actor did not immediately respond to our request for comment.