Will Smith passed on the modern classic The Matrix for the confusing plot that the Wachowskis pitched him during the meet.

How Will Smith Was Left Bamboozled After Hearing Wachowski’s Pitch for &#8216;Matrix&#8217;

The 90s were marked by several blockbusters and the reign of superstars like
Brad Pitt, Will Smith, and Tom Cruise. Will had an amazing run during the latter
part of the 90s. It was almost like whatever he touched turned gold. The Fresh
Prince of Bel-Air was riding high on the success of his previous films. He
probably thought he could never go wrong with his choices until his luck ran dry
and he made one of the biggest mistakes of his career. 

[data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==]

Although he led many blockbuster films, the actor did miss out on some real gems
in his otherwise stellar career. Apart from Django Unchained
[https://www.thethings.com/will-smith-turned-down-django-unchained/], the Men in
Black actor also famously turned down The Matrix. 

ALSO READ: When Will Smith Went Back to the Rap World With Marc Anthony and Bad
Bunny
[https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-when-will-smith-went-back-to-the-rap-world-with-marc-anthony-and-bad-bunny/]


WILL SMITH FAMOUSLY REJECTED THE MATRIX BECAUSE OF WACHOWSKI’S BEWILDERING
NARRATION 

Back in 1998, Smith was an A-lister that almost all studios wanted to cast. And
the Wachowskis were relatively unknown then. They had only done one obscure
film; next, they wanted to create this mind-bending sci-fi
[https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-will-smith-to-return-to-hollywood-with-ms-marvel-director-in-a-sci-fi-thriller/]
movie starring Will Smith
[https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-months-after-the-will-smith-slap-gate-jada-pinkett-smith-says-alpha-males-dont-pay-attention-to-feelings/].
So they approached him and pitched him the movie, but their narration was a
little incoherent for the actor to understand the plot, so he passed on it.



In a video uploaded in 2019, the actor called the Wachowskis “geniuses,” but had
no way of knowing that in 1998. Will acted out the actual pitch: “Like imagine
you are in a fight and then like jump but imagine if you could stop jumping in
the middle of the jump. But then people could see you 360° while you are
jumping.”

ALSO READ: Will Smith Brings Back His Lighter Side With a Dance Video, Post the
Oscar Debacle
[https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-will-smith-brings-back-his-lighter-side-with-a-dance-video-post-the-oscar-debacle/]

Furthermore, the pitch also included some cameras that would allow him to see
him jump. Well, we aren’t surprised that the 54-year-old couldn’t make sense of
the plot. The Matrix would go on to become a smash hit at the box office that
year.

[data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==]https://netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Culture_Matrix_Code_corridor.jpg.webp

The movie has achieved a kind of cult classic status now and has set a bar for
mind-bending sci-fi movies. But, one’s loss is another’s gain. When Will turned
down the movie, it landed in Keanu Reeves’ lap.

Do you think Will would have made a better Neo?

Srabani Biswas

Comment

How Will Smith Was Left Bamboozled After Hearing Wachowski’s Pitch for &#8216;Matrix&#8217; - Netflix Junkie

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Srabani Biswas is a writer at Netflix Junkie. She is a sociology graduate from Lady Brabourne College. Previously, she has contributed to Sports India Show and The Sports Room as a sports writer, and interned at Ripples Learning. A daydreamer, a dancer, and a lover of dogs, she enjoys quiet evenings with her laptop and a cozy blanket. With so much to do and so little time, she is constantly worried about her growing pile of unread books and unwatched shows on Netflix. Her favourites include Stranger, Vincenzo, Hello! My twenties,  Emily in Paris, Never Have I Ever, Peaky Blinders, Stranger Things, Reply 1997 and Sex Education.

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How Will Smith Was Left Bamboozled After Hearing Wachowski’s Pitch for &#8216;Matrix&#8217; - netflix-junkie

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The 90s were marked by several blockbusters and the reign of superstars like Brad Pitt, Will Smith, and Tom Cruise. Will had an amazing run during the latter part of the 90s. It was almost like whatever he touched turned gold. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was riding high on the success of his previous films. He probably thought he could never go wrong with his choices until his luck ran dry and he made one of the biggest mistakes of his career. 
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-58025 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" data-src="https://netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/will-smith.webp" alt="" width="1390" height="782" data-sizes="auto" data-srcset="https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/will-smith.webp 1390w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/will-smith-300x169.webp 300w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/will-smith-1024x576.webp 1024w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/will-smith-768x432.webp 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1390px) 100vw, 1390px" />
Although he led many blockbuster films, the actor did miss out on some real gems in his otherwise stellar career. Apart from <a href="https://www.thethings.com/will-smith-turned-down-django-unchained/">Django Unchained</a>, the Men in Black actor also famously turned down The Matrix. 
ALSO READ: <a href="https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-when-will-smith-went-back-to-the-rap-world-with-marc-anthony-and-bad-bunny/">When Will Smith Went Back to the Rap World With Marc Anthony and Bad Bunny</a>
<h2>Will Smith famously rejected The Matrix because of Wachowski&#8217;s bewildering narration </h2>
Back in 1998, Smith was an A-lister that almost all studios wanted to cast. And the Wachowskis were relatively unknown then. They had only done one obscure film; next, they wanted to create this mind-bending <a href="https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-will-smith-to-return-to-hollywood-with-ms-marvel-director-in-a-sci-fi-thriller/">sci-fi</a> movie starring <a href="https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-months-after-the-will-smith-slap-gate-jada-pinkett-smith-says-alpha-males-dont-pay-attention-to-feelings/">Will Smith</a>. So they approached him and pitched him the movie, but their narration was a little incoherent for the actor to understand the plot, so he passed on it. 
<div class="flex-video widescreen youtube"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Why I Turned Down The Matrix | STORYTIME" width="1170" height="658" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hm2szuXKgL8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
In a video uploaded in 2019, the actor called the Wachowskis &#8220;geniuses,&#8221; but had no way of knowing that in 1998. Will acted out the actual pitch: &#8220;Like imagine you are in a fight and then like jump but imagine if you could stop jumping in the middle of the jump. But then people could see you 360° while you are jumping.&#8221;
ALSO READ: <a href="https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-will-smith-brings-back-his-lighter-side-with-a-dance-video-post-the-oscar-debacle/">Will Smith Brings Back His Lighter Side With a Dance Video, Post the Oscar Debacle</a>
Furthermore, the pitch also included some cameras that would allow him to see him jump. Well, we aren&#8217;t surprised that the 54-year-old couldn&#8217;t make sense of the plot. The Matrix would go on to become a smash hit at the box office that year.
<a href="https://netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Culture_Matrix_Code_corridor.jpg.webp"><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-58488 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" data-src="https://netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Culture_Matrix_Code_corridor.jpg.webp" alt="" width="1391" height="782" data-sizes="auto" data-srcset="https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Culture_Matrix_Code_corridor.jpg.webp 1391w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Culture_Matrix_Code_corridor.jpg-300x169.webp 300w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Culture_Matrix_Code_corridor.jpg-1024x576.webp 1024w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Culture_Matrix_Code_corridor.jpg-768x432.webp 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1391px) 100vw, 1391px" /></a>
The movie has achieved a kind of cult classic status now and has set a bar for mind-bending sci-fi movies. But, one&#8217;s loss is another&#8217;s gain. When Will turned down the movie, it landed in Keanu Reeves&#8217; lap.
Do you think Will would have made a better Neo?

When Will Smith Went Back to the Rap World With Marc Anthony and Bad Bunny

Will Smith Brings Back His Lighter Side With a Dance Video, Post the Oscar
Debacle

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How Will Smith Was Left Bamboozled After Hearing Wachowski’s Pitch for 'Matrix' - Netflix Junkie

Srabani Biswas is a writer at Netflix Junkie. She is a sociology graduate from Lady Brabourne College. Previously, she has contributed to Sports India Show and The Sports Room as a sports writer, and interned at Ripples Learning. A daydreamer, a dancer, and a lover of dogs, she enjoys quiet evenings with her laptop and a cozy blanket. With so much to do and so little time, she is constantly worried about her growing pile of unread books and unwatched shows on Netflix. Her favourites include Stranger, Vincenzo, Hello! My twenties, Emily in Paris, Never Have I Ever, Peaky Blinders, Stranger Things, Reply 1997 and Sex Education.

https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/0411d75f5c4b6571929279a073b0a09c?s=96&d=mm&r=g

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How Will Smith Was Left Bamboozled After Hearing Wachowski’s Pitch for &#039;Matrix&#039; - Netflix Junkie

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How Will Smith Was Left Bamboozled After Hearing Wachowski’s Pitch for ‘Matrix’

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