And yet, Will Smith had to believe that collaborating with his Men In Black director, Sonnenfeld, would produce a hit.
Left to doubt his choices, Smith went after movies like The Legend of Bagger Vance, Ali and the disappointing Men in Black II.
He no longer was the bankable hit machine, and from the sound of his answer to Jake, the choice to do Wild Wild West over The Matrix still stings Smith, even though he remains a massive movie star.
And the blemish left a stain on Smith and his confidence, for a while.