What would Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained have been like with Will Smith in the title role?
During the early days of the film's production, Smith was considered the front runner to play Django, an escaped slave turned bounty hunter searching for his wife in the antebellum-era south. The part would have been a radical departure for the actor, who is best known for his family-friendly blend of action heroism.
In 2012, writer Bill Simmons said of Smith's role choices:
"See, people like Will Smith because he's never given them a reason not to like him. He would never play an evil cop like Denzel did (Training Day); he doesn't want us to see Evil Will Smith. He would never play someone trapped in a damaging 1950s marriage like Leo did (Revolutionary Road); he doesn't want us to think about Bad Husband Will Smith."
During the Hollywood Reporter's annual actor's roundtable, Smith spoke of the factors that ultimately lead him to pass on the possibly career-altering part.
"It was about the creative direction of the story. To me, it's as perfect a story as you could ever want: a guy that learns how to kill to retrieve his wife that has been taken as a slave. That idea is perfect. And it was just that Quentin and I couldn't see [eye to eye]." Said Smith.
The two-time Academy Award nominee said that he envisioned the project not as the violent, revenge tale it eventually became, but as a love story focused on Django's desire to be reunited with his wife.
"I wanted to make that movie so badly, but I felt the only way was, it had to be a love story, not a vengeance story." Said the actor. "We can't look at what happens in Paris [the terrorist attacks] and want to f- somebody up for that. Violence begets violence. I just couldn't connect to violence being the answer. Love had to be the answer."
