Will Smith Reveals Why He Turned Down Django: Unchained

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_Goldie_
_Goldie_ Members, Moderators, Writer Posts: 30,349 Regulator
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It’s no secret that Will Smith was Quentin Tarantino’s first choice for Django Unchained. The filmmaker’s first foray into Western territory was also poised to be his first time working with the bona fide movie star, making the project that much more enticing. However, Smith ultimately passed and Tarantino moved on to Jamie Foxx, who did a solid job in the role even if the “what could have been” of Smith’s casting still loomed large. At the time, reports swirled that Smith said “no” to the project for fear of harming his squeaky clean image, but that doesn’t necessarily jibe anymore given that he stars in Warner Bros. villain-centric Suicide Squad. So why did he turn down the chance to work with Quentin Tarantino?

In an actor’s roundtable interview with THR for the impending Oscar season, where he was promoting his turn in the NFL drama Concussion, Smith spoke rather candidly about his decision to turn down Django Unchained:

“It was about the creative direction of the story. To me, it’s as perfect a story as you could ever want: a guy that learns how to ? to retrieve his wife that has been taken as a slave. That idea is perfect. And it was just that Quentin and I couldn’t see [eye to eye].”

What, specifically, could they not see eye to eye on? The central thrust of the narrative:

“I wanted to make that movie so badly, but I felt the only way was, it had to be a love story, not a vengeance story,” Smith said. The actor was cautious of the film’s violence. Smith said the only way he would have agreed to make the movie was if Django Unchained centered on a love story, “not a vengeance story.”
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  • Colin$mackabi$h
    Colin$mackabi$h Members Posts: 16,586 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Now that I think about it that would sound better than the original..
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  • mryounggun
    mryounggun Members Posts: 13,451 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Meester wrote: »
    Now that I think about it that would sound better than the original..

    Definitely would have been more interesting and nuanced. I love Django, but the one with Will Smith as a love story would have been ill too.
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  • TheNightKing
    TheNightKing Guests, Members, Writer, Content Producer Posts: 2,484 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    He just wanted an opportunity to cry for his lost love.
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  • Cabana_Da_Don
    Cabana_Da_Don Members Posts: 7,992 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Judge_Judah wrote: »
    He didn't wanna be portrayed killing white folks for "vengeance" on some Nat Turner type of story.

    It ain't have nothing to do with him wanting it to be a love story.

    That might hurt his reception by the public....

    You could be right even though he always kept it real in Fresh Prince that he was a conscious brother.
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  • Trillfate
    Trillfate Members Posts: 24,008 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Judge_Judah wrote: »
    He didn't wanna be portrayed killing white folks for "vengeance" on some Nat Turner type of story.

    It ain't have nothing to do with him wanting it to be a love story.

    That might hurt his reception by the public....

    Michael B Jordan as Nat Turner... yay or nay?
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  • mryounggun
    mryounggun Members Posts: 13,451 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Trillfate wrote: »
    Judge_Judah wrote: »
    He didn't wanna be portrayed killing white folks for "vengeance" on some Nat Turner type of story.

    It ain't have nothing to do with him wanting it to be a love story.

    That might hurt his reception by the public....

    Michael B Jordan as Nat Turner... yay or nay?

    Nay.
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  • Billy_Poncho
    Billy_Poncho Members Posts: 22,382 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Trillfate wrote: »
    Judge_Judah wrote: »
    He didn't wanna be portrayed killing white folks for "vengeance" on some Nat Turner type of story.

    It ain't have nothing to do with him wanting it to be a love story.

    That might hurt his reception by the public....

    Michael B Jordan as Nat Turner... yay or nay?

    Him or Chadwick Boseman
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  • Arya Tsaddiq
    Arya Tsaddiq Members Posts: 15,334 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Trillfate wrote: »
    Judge_Judah wrote: »
    He didn't wanna be portrayed killing white folks for "vengeance" on some Nat Turner type of story.

    It ain't have nothing to do with him wanting it to be a love story.

    That might hurt his reception by the public....

    Michael B Jordan as Nat Turner... yay or nay?

    Derrick Luke
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  • Trillfate
    Trillfate Members Posts: 24,008 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Jameson_Porcupine wrote: »
    Trillfate wrote: »
    Judge_Judah wrote: »
    He didn't wanna be portrayed killing white folks for "vengeance" on some Nat Turner type of story.

    It ain't have nothing to do with him wanting it to be a love story.

    That might hurt his reception by the public....

    Michael B Jordan as Nat Turner... yay or nay?

    Him or Chadwick Boseman

    Word. Chadwick already bodied james brown and jackie Robinson
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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0 Regulator
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    The user and all related content has been deleted.
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  • mryounggun
    mryounggun Members Posts: 13,451 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Jameson_Porcupine wrote: »
    Trillfate wrote: »
    Judge_Judah wrote: »
    He didn't wanna be portrayed killing white folks for "vengeance" on some Nat Turner type of story.

    It ain't have nothing to do with him wanting it to be a love story.

    That might hurt his reception by the public....

    Michael B Jordan as Nat Turner... yay or nay?

    Him or Chadwick Boseman

    I was too lazy to google homies name, but that the face that popped in my head. He would murder that role. No pun intended.
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  • ChillaDaGawd
    ChillaDaGawd Members Posts: 12,021 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Terrence Howard as Nat Turner

    No joke....brother would really get into the role as a method actor
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  • mryounggun
    mryounggun Members Posts: 13,451 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Judge_Judah wrote: »
    mryounggun wrote: »
    Judge_Judah wrote: »
    Trillfate wrote: »
    Judge_Judah wrote: »
    He didn't wanna be portrayed killing white folks for "vengeance" on some Nat Turner type of story.

    It ain't have nothing to do with him wanting it to be a love story.

    That might hurt his reception by the public....

    Michael B Jordan as Nat Turner... yay or nay?

    Derrick Luke


    Naw, we can't have this marble-mouthed, non-acting ? playing Nat Turner.

    idi-amin-laughing.gif

    Lol

    Aye Antwoine Fisher is one of my favorite movies tho.

    Dope movie. But let's not act like that's based on his performance. Ol' 'I'm still strong! I'm still standing!!!' face ass ? .
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  • Arya Tsaddiq
    Arya Tsaddiq Members Posts: 15,334 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    On another note...

    I made a thread a few months ago about Nate Parker doing a Nat Turner biopic...

    This convo made me check back up on that....

    There is ANOTHER Nat Turner movie in the works with big name stars attached to it from what I saw . Bill Duke is listed as the director.

    http://m.imdb.com/title/tt4602878/

    All this time without a Nat Turner movie....

    NOW with the state of race relations in this country there are two movies slated to be released.....

    conspiracy.jpg
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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0 Regulator
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    The user and all related content has been deleted.
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  • Already Home_17
    Already Home_17 Members Posts: 14,572 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    I enjoyed django but I hated the fact he wasn't the one to ? candy
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  • playmaker88
    playmaker88 Members Posts: 67,905 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    mryounggun wrote: »
    Judge_Judah wrote: »
    Trillfate wrote: »
    Judge_Judah wrote: »
    He didn't wanna be portrayed killing white folks for "vengeance" on some Nat Turner type of story.

    It ain't have nothing to do with him wanting it to be a love story.

    That might hurt his reception by the public....

    Michael B Jordan as Nat Turner... yay or nay?

    Derrick Luke


    Naw, we can't have this marble-mouthed, non-acting ? playing Nat Turner.
    ? he would be perfect Nat turner was a slave.. ?

    besides the accounts of the whole Nat Turner story are cobbled together.. or taken from the dude that represented him.. they will take great liberties with the story because most of it and his history itself is in mystery
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  • mryounggun
    mryounggun Members Posts: 13,451 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Black_Samson wrote: »
    Judge_Judah wrote: »
    On another note...

    I made a thread a few months ago about Nate Parker doing a Nat Turner biopic...

    This convo made me check back up on that....

    There is ANOTHER Nat Turner movie in the works with big name stars attached to it from what I saw . Bill Duke is listed as the director.

    http://m.imdb.com/title/tt4602878/

    All this time without a Nat Turner movie....

    NOW with the state of race relations in this country there are two movies slated to be released.....

    conspiracy.jpg

    You're ghostin' us, ? . I don't care who you are back in the world, you give away our position one more time, I'll bleed ya, real quiet. Leave ya here. Got that?

    This will go over a lot of ? heads. Salute, though.
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