When it comes to box office hits, Will Smith is one of the most successful actors of all time. Over his 30-year-plus career, he has acted in numerous iconic films. But don’t expect him to star in the latest Matrix movie although he shared a cryptic post on social media according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Taking to Instagram using Matrix-esque computer font, he shared how he missed out on the original film.
“In 1997, the Wachowski’s offered Will Smith the role of Neo in The Matrix. Smith turned it down. He chose Wild Wild West, believing it was a better fit for him at the time,” the post read.
“But the question remains: What would The Matrix have been like with Will Smith as Neo? Wake up, Will… The Matrix has you”, the post continued.
While The Matrix went on to become one of the most popular film franchises of all time, Wild Wild West was panned by critics and was a box office flop.
Since its release, Smith has often spoken about how The Matrix was the film project that got away. In an interview with Wired in 2004, the “Bad Boys” actor said he couldn’t see the vision of the film.
“You know, The Matrix is a difficult concept to pitch. In the pitch, I just didn’t see it,” Smith said. “ I watched Keanu’s performance – and very rarely do I say this – but I would have absolutely messed up The Matrix.”
“At that point, I wasn’t smart enough as an actor to let the movie be. Whereas Keanu was smart enough to just let it be,” he continued. “ Let the movie and the director tell the story, and don’t try and perform every moment.
While he won’t be a part of the Matrix franchise, Smith’s post on IG allied to a forthcoming music project that he has in the works, Deadline reports.
The album would be his first since 2005 when he released Lost and Found. Featuring the hit single, “Switch” the song peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100.
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