Which Movie Did Will Smith Begin Filming Without A Finished Script?(Photo Credit –Instagram)
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Back in 2012, Men in Black 3 kicked off production without a finished script, and somehow, it still turned out to be one of Will Smith’s biggest hits. Risky move? Absolutely. However, Smith and director Barry Sonnenfeld believed the studio’s bold play had merit.
In fact, Sonnenfeld stood by the chaos, saying (via Newsweek), “Starting the movie without an absolutely finished script is not normally the right way to do movies. But I feel the decision Sony made was the right decision. On this one, we might still be waiting for the script. Sometimes, if you just dip your toe in, you’ll never dive in because it’s too stupidly cold.”
That icy plunge didn’t stop Men in Black 3 from pulling in a cool $624 million worldwide. Sure, it didn’t match the pop-culture explosion of the 1997 original, but it delivered a much warmer reception than the lukewarm Men in Black II. In the end, Sony’s gamble paid off big time. Even the 2019 reboot, Men in Black: International, couldn’t hold a neuralyzer to those numbers.
But behind the scenes, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. One of the biggest challenges? Will Smith’s meticulous process. As Newsweek reported, Smith’s “notoriously exacting method of working through a screenplay” clashed with the race to get the movie rolling. The actor is known for being laser-focused on career decisions, even turning down The Matrix and Django Unchained to stay aligned with his long-term vision.
Smith’s control over his brand had served him well. From Independence Day to The Pursuit of Happyness, he didn’t just act in blockbusters. He helped shape them. He crafted a career built on big ideas, high stakes, and higher expectations. So, jumping into a movie without a full script? That wasn’t typical Smith. But in this case, he adjusted. Because the clock was ticking, and Sony wanted to move.
It helped that Men in Black 3 was a chance for redemption. The second film hadn’t landed with critics or fans. A time-travel twist, Josh Brolin’s spot-on Tommy Lee Jones impression, and some surprisingly emotional beats gave this third outing a fresher feel. And Will Smith, as always, anchored it with charm and command. He kept his character, Agent J, feeling grounded while hopping timelines and trading barbs with aliens. Fans hardly noticed that the script had been stitched together mid-shoot.
At the time, Smith was still riding high. He hadn’t yet stirred controversy at the Oscars or faced the fallout of Emancipation. That came years later after his 2022 Best Actor win for King Richard. But in the early 2010s, he was still Hollywood’s golden guy — confident enough to dive headfirst into a sequel with no safety net. Sometimes, you don’t need a perfect plan. Just a black suit, some swagger, and the guts to hit “action” anyway.
