Movies don’t do well when there’s a hermetically sealed environment.” “The control-freak stuff hits you,” says this person. He’s got that energy and positive attitude, but it doesn’t have the same contagious quality.” Another Smith associate believes such behavior takes a creative toll. Says a prominent film exec who has worked with Smith: “That aw-shucks, incredibly charming, self-effacing spirit doesn’t seem to play anymore. ? Less Fresh Prince and More Royal Prince: This began with buzz about Smith’s behavior (and his gigantic trailer) during the making of MiB3. ? Off-Message Media: Smith, 44, and his 14-year-old son gave a joint interview to New York magazine that one prominent producer describes as “a jaw-dropper.” Will Smith described himself as “a student of patterns,” adding, “At heart, I’m a physicist.” Even as the elder Smith described how visitors to his household would be surprised to find that it is “simple and basic,” Jaden declared: “I like Cartier,” noting “before that, it was Louis” (as in, Vuitton). “Will went through a place where he didn’t do a lot of movies, and none has been great.” The bottom line: “He could still be highly successful, but it was automatic before. “One thing you’ve got to do as an actor is portfolio management,” says this person. Nearly four years passed between Seven Pounds and last summer’s Men in Black 3. ? Lack of Focus: A source who has worked with the CAA-repped Smith - arguably the world’s most bankable star - says he has been less attuned to his movie career recently. PHOTOS: Hollywood Dynasties: Top 14 Movies Featuring Stars and Their Kids Insiders agree that Smith’s bulletproof image could be dinged by several factors: Night Shyamalan will take the biggest hit, but Smith - who conceived the project, produced it with wife Jada Pinkett Smith and cast son Jaden Smith as its co-star - has the most to lose. So who suffers most from the fallout? Competitors and talent representatives concur that faltering director M.
That puts a lot of pressure on the rest of Sony’s summer, including Roland Emmerich‘s White House Down, Grown Ups 2, the comedy This Is the End, Smurfs 2 and Matt Damon‘s Elysium. Sony insiders put the loss at about $20 million but rivals, not surprisingly, are guessing much higher. Given the low $27.5 million domestic bow and 12 percent Rotten Tomatoes score, top executives at several rival studios estimate that if the film doesn’t score big overseas, it could lose tens of millions. The danger turned out to be very real as Sony Pictures’ After Earth crashed at the box office in third place, the first time in two decades that a summer event film starring Will Smith failed to open at No. This story first appeared in the June 14 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine.