Will Smith Movies
12 Most Recognizable Will Smith Movies
Will Smith is one of the most successful entertainers of his era. He is not only an actor but also a producer, singer and songwriter. He’s even dabbled in writing and directing. He has won four Grammy Awards and has been nominated for two Academy Awards. Will Smith’s movies have grossed more than $6 billion worldwide.
With work spanning across nearly five different decades, his star is nowhere near dimming, and Hollywood can still bank on him. Will has come a long way since his start as the “Fresh Prince”, and he is now reprising some of his most popular movie roles in a number of sequels.
Most of his critical acclaim came between 1995 and 2008, but it was enough to guarantee him a lifetime of leading roles. And being married to Jada Pinkett means we’re likely to see another generation of Smiths at the box office.
Here is a list of some of his best work.
1. Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
This touching biographical drama is based on the memoir of American entrepreneur Chris Gardner, particularly his near one-year struggle with homelessness. Smith stars with his son Jaden Smith, who plays the role of Gardner’s son Christopher Jr. The elder Smith’s performance was critically acclaimed, earning him an Academy Award and Golden Globe nomination for best actor.
The movie was also a smashing success at the box office garnering a worldwide gross of more than $300 million, with just a production budget of $50 million.
2. Seven Pounds (2008)
Smith plays the role of an aeronautical engineer who causes a multi-car crash where his fiancée dies, along with six other strangers. In a bid for atonement, he sets out to save the lives of seven good people.
Although it was not as critically acclaimed as Pursuit of Happyness, this movie was still successful at the box office with a worldwide gross of $160 million.
3. Enemy of the State (1998)
This spy thriller revolves around the story of a group of National Security agents who conspire to kill a U.S. Congressman. Will Smith stars with Gene Hackman, with Jon Voight and Regina King in supporting roles. Smith plays the role of a lawyer who becomes a target of the NSA agents when he accidentally receives a key evidence to the crime. This is one of the biggest hits of 1998, with a total gross of $250 million worldwide.
4. I Am Legend (2007)
Smith stars in this monster hit about a post-apocalyptic future. He plays a virologist who is immune to a man-made virus that turns humans into hostile mutants, and who races against time to create a remedy. It earned more than $580 million at the box-office. Interestingly, Smith was not the first choice for the movie as other bankable stars like Tom Cruise, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mel Gibson and Michael Douglas were also considered for this project.
5. Men in Black (1997)
Smith stars with Tommy Lee Jones in this huge hit that earned more than $580 million. Smith plays the role of a streetwise NYPD detective who is taken in by a secret organization that regulates alien activity on Earth. The film won an Academy Award for best make-up. This is the first in a successful movie franchise.
6. I, Robot (2004)
Set in 2035, the film is about a technophobic cop who investigates a crime which may have been committed by a robot. With a budget of $120 million, the movie went on to earn $347 million worldwide. It wasn’t a favorite of critics, though, as they scored its plot. It was nominated for best visual effects at the 2004 Academy Awards.
7. Independence Day (1996)
This sci-fi disaster film stars Smith with an all-star line-up that includes Bill Pullman, Randy Quaid, Jeff Goldblum, and Harry Connick, Jr. It revolves around a disparate group of people who join hands in a last-chance counterattack against alien invaders on July 4. This was once the second highest grossing film of all-time behind Jurassic Park, with total gross of around $817 million.
8. Six Degrees of Separation (1993)
Six Degrees of Separation is a comedy-drama flick adapted from the Pulitzer Prize-dominated play of John Guare. Smith plays the role of a mysterious black man who touches the lives of an affluent New York couple. This was a disappointment at the box office, however, as it only took in $6 million worldwide.
9. Men in Black III (2012)
After a 4-year break from making movies, Will returned with all the flair and charisma we’d been missing. Most people would agree that this third installment was better than the previous sequel (mostly due to Smith’s performance), though still no match for the original.
The Men in Black are back again. This time in order to save the world from aliens, Agent J must travel back in time to work with Agent K from the past. And he learns that there are a few secrets to the universe that Agent K had never shared with him.
Among his highest grossing movies, Men in Black III earned $624 million worldwide.
10. Bad Boys (1995)
The directorial debut of Michael Bay, Bad Boys stars Smith and Martin Lawrence. The two play the role of cops and best pals who are assigned to the narcotics division of the Miami Police department. Their lives turn upside down when $100 million worth of heroine is stolen from the police vault.
With a mere $19 million production budget, this film grossed $141 million worldwide which made it the breakthrough movie for Will Smith.
11. Hitch (2005)
This is a romantic-comedy film that stars Smith, Eva Mendes, and Kevin James. Smith plays the title role, a professional dating consultant who teaches men how to woo women. Although critics were not exactly thrilled with the predictability of the movie, moviegoers went all out to support this flick as it went on to gross more than $368 million at the tills.
Indeed, Smith is one of the most successful actors of his generation as shown by these 10 memorable Will Smith movies of all-time.
12. Aladdin (2019)
Bringing the powerhouse Disney animated movie to life, this movie appeals to so many audiences that it has earned over 3/4 billion dollars worldwide! While not up to par with the animated original, the live-action Aladdin had enough Disney marketing power to bring in both children new to the story as well as older children and adults anxious to see how this flick translated in this new adaptation. Even despite Smith being the only real big-name star in the film.
Will had some pretty big shoes to fill in playing the role of the genie. Robin Williams was Genie, and it seems Will (or Disney) knew this, and chose to play the role less like Williams’ version, and more like Smith’s Fresh Prince as a playful adult. Worth a watch just to compare it to the original.
All Will Smith Movies
| Movie Title | Year Released |
|---|---|
| Where the Day Takes You | 1992 |
| Made in America | 1993 |
| Six Degrees of Separation | 1993 |
| Bad Boys | 1995 |
| Independence Day | 1996 |
| Men in Black | 1997 |
| Enemy of the State | 1998 |
| Welcome to Hollywood | 1998 |
| Wild Wild West | 1999 |
| The Legend of Bagger Vance | 2000 |
| Ali | 2001 |
| Men in Black II | 2002 |
| Bad Boys II | 2003 |
| I, Robot | 2004 |
| Shark Tale | 2004 |
| Hitch | 2005 |
| The Pursuit of Happyness | 2006 |
| I Am Legend | 2007 |
| Hancock | 2008 |
| Seven Pounds | 2008 |
| Men in Black 3 | 2012 |
| After Earth | 2013 |
| Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues | 2013 |
| Winter's Tale | 2014 |
| Concussion | 2015 |
| Focus | 2015 |
| Collateral Beauty | 2016 |
| Suicide Squad | 2016 |
| Bright | 2017 |
| Aladdin | 2019 |
| Gemini Man | 2019 |
| Spies in Disguise | 2019 |
| Student of the Year 2 | 2019 |
| Bad Boys for Life | 2020 |
