Will Smith has revealed why he turned down Christopher Nolan’s Inception, speaking on the record about the decision for the first time.
Inception is a 2010 sci-fi heist movie that revolves around mind-bending trips into dreams. The reality-shifting story sees a group of characters invade a target’s subconscious in order to commit an act of corporate espionage. But by the end, multiple layers down, the dream heist turns into something of a nightmare.
Nolan was reported to have gone to Brad Pitt for Inception’s leading role first, then Smith, before finally landing on Leonardo DiCaprio. Now, 15 years after the movie came out, Smith has spoken for the first time about why he rejected Nolan’s pitch.
“I don’t think I’ve ever even said it publicly before,” Smith began in an interview on UK radio station Kiss Xtra.
“Chris Nolan brought me Inception first, and I didn’t get it. I’ve never said that out loud. Now that I think about it, it’s those movies that go into those alternate realities, they don’t pitch well. But I’m hurt by those two.”
The “those two” comment relates to Smith’s high-profile rejection of Neo in 1999’s The Matrix, which he has spoken about a number of times over the years. The revelation that he also turned down Inception because he “didn’t get it” now adds to the list of blockbuster films Smith regrets rejecting over the course of his acting career. Inception went on to make a huge $839 million at the global box office, and is one of Leonardo DiCaprio’s most iconic roles.
Inception’s spinning totem top ending is notorious for failing to clarify the nature of the movie’s events (is this real or a dream?), but in 2023 Nolan insisted the ultimate takeaway from the story is that Leonardo DiCaprio’s character Cobb, who is finally reunited with his family, doesn’t care either way, which is why he doesn’t turn back to look at whether the spinning totem falls or continues spinning.
While Smith has leaned into his The Matrix rejection, even using it to tease what ended up being a song with Big Sean, this is the first time he’s spoken about skipping Inception. But while admitting “I’m hurt by those two,” Smith is no stranger to sci-fi films, having starred in classics such as Independence Day, Men in Black, and I Am Legend.
Photo by Pablo Cuadra/WireImage.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
