‘Hitch’ Director Says Will Smith Is Developing A Sequel Film Without Him: “Hey, That’s Hollywood”

Andy Tennant, the director of the 2005 romantic comedy Hitch, said that Will Smith is developing a sequel to the film but did not include him.

In a new interview, Tennant revealed he had an idea for a sequel to the hit comedy and recently found out Smith is working on a follow-up movie.

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“I submitted a proposal for a sequel, which was quite fun, but I guess Will is developing a Hitch sequel without me,” Tennant said in an interview with Business Insider. “I just found out about it three months ago. I had a really good idea for a sequel, and I was talking to an executive at Sony, and he said Will’s production company is developing a sequel. Hey, that’s Hollywood.”

Tennant said he doesn’t “have anything against Will,” adding, “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.”

In 2014, Deadline reported Fox was developing a half-hour series based on Hitch with Smith and James Lassiter’s Overbrook Entertainment behind the project. Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont were attached to write the series adaptation, a workplace comedy that explores dating and sexual politics.

Tennant detailed in the same interview the many “difficulties” he had making Hitch with Smith.

“We had our difficulties. 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,” Tennant told Business Insider. “It was a battle. [Smith’s wife] Jada [Pinkett Smith] was a big help. She kind of seconded some of my instincts. There was a time during prep when I was pushing back. A lot of crazy shit that was happening.”

Hitch is a 2005 romantic comedy starring Will Smith as a “date doctor” coaching men in the art of wooing women. The film also starred Eva Mendes, Kevin James, Amber Valletta, Michael Rapaport, and Adam Arkin.

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