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Will Smith revealed that his son Jaden Smith was left feeling “betrayed” after the father-son duo starred in the infamous box office bombAfter Earthin 2013. Smith claims he had coached Jaden Smith into the biggest failure of his early career, causing a rift after Jaden’s breakout withThe Karate Kid.
The high-profile flop embarrassed the young Jaden Smith and severely damaged the trust he had in his superstar father’s guidance and judgment. According to Will, 15-year-old Jaden Smith went from the heights of his first major hit withThe Karate Kidto the ignominy ofAfter Earth,which earned a humiliating 11% on Rotten Tomatoes and lost millions. The 54-year-old actor accepts blame for the “debacle” of the film, which drove a wedge between them that took years to recover from.
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Jaden Smith Had Just Found Success WithThe Karate Kid
Before taking onAfter Earth, a 15-year-old Jaden Smith had just come off his first major acting success with the 2010 remake ofThe Karate Kid.He received praise for capably leading the film alongsideJackie Chan, establishing himself as an up-and-coming talent after earlier child roles.
According toWill Smith, this early success led Jaden Smith to fully trust his judgment.
“With The Karate Kid, he found that magic connection with the public of ‘I can do this.”
That trust in his father quickly evaporated after their disastrous sci-fi projectAfter Earthin 2013. Will Smith had conceived the film as a starring vehicle for the two, with Jaden Smith playing his on-screen son.
Read more:“Figure it out”: Before Helping Will Smith Strike Gold With I Am Legend, Tom Cruise Launched 6-Times Oscar Nominated Director’s Career
After EarthWas A “Father-Son Debacle” That Strained Their Bond
After Earthearned a humiliating 11% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and lost millions for Sony Pictures.
“When we did After Earth, it was the worst public mauling either of us had ever experienced,”Will Smith admitted.“He felt so betrayed that I had led him into this worst possible public mauling.”
The film was ravaged by critics and flopped at the box office, stalling Jaden Smith’s momentum.
For Jaden Smith, the film’s failure marked a painful setback following the heights ofThe Karate Kid.His father accepts the blame for the “debacle” of a film, which ended up driving a wedge between the two.“It took years for Jaden to trust my leadership again,”the 54-year-old confessed.
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Jaden Smith Felt He Had Been Sabotaged By His Own Father
ForJaden Smith, the embarrassment ofAfter Earth’sfailure was worsened by the fact his own father had ushered him into the doomed project. He felt Will Smith’s poor judgment had directly led to the scornful reactions.
“At 15 years old, Jaden Smith had had the number one movie and then made the number one box office flop of my career,”Will Smith explained.“It was as if I had purposefully and with full knowledge driven him into the most humiliating failure of his public life.”
Read more:“How good you would be?”: Jackie Chan Was Proven Wrong After He Doubted Jaden Smith Because Of His $350 Million Rich Father Will Smith
After Earthtaught the older Smith a difficult lesson about trying to manufacture movie stardom for his son. He admits pushing Jaden Smith too fast into a high-profile flop that derailed his career and betrayed the trust he had in his famous father’s guidance. The strain between them took years to fully recover from.
Source:THE PLAYLIST
JAGRITI MURJANI
Articles Published :80
An author at Fandom Wire. A a devoted Swiftie and avid K-drama lover, I bring you the news of pop culture to keep you in the loop.
