There seems to be a bit of drama on the set of Fast and Loose. The action film starring Will Smith follows a crime boss who loses his memory after an attack, only to learn he was leading a double life as a CIA agent.
While the plot may be interesting, many things are happening behind the scenes too.
Action-film director Michael Bay was set to direct Fast and Loose, but per The Hollywood Reporter, he exited amid creative differences with Will. The film has been in progress since well before Will infamously slapped Chris Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards.
© Getty ImagesThis wasn't the first time Michael and Will worked together. The two collaborated on 1995's Bad Boys and 2003's Bad Boys II. Before playing Detective Mike Lowrey, Will was mainly known as a rapper and a sitcom star on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
He often points to Michael for being the director that turned him into a "movie star."
In an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Will described working on the film with Michael, saying: "So Michael Bay was shooting this scene, and I wanted to have my shirt on. And Michael was like, 'Dude, I'm gonna make you a frickin' movie star! Take your shirt off.'"
© Getty ImagesWill continued: "I was like 'Mike, come on man, running with your shirt off? Come on, man.' And he was like 'Dude, you don't know! I know.'"
"So we compromised in that scene. I was like Mike, 'I have to have a shirt. I'll have it open, just not off.' And we compromised, and it was one of the iconic scenes from that movie," he added.
Unfortunately, it looks like Will and Michael weren't able to compromise on Fast and Loose.
© FilmMagicWill's rollercoaster career
Just before Will was set to win an Oscar for his role in King Richard, he slapped Chris Rock after he made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith.
The day after the Oscars, Will posted a public apology on Instagram writing: "Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at last night's Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable."
While on the All The Smoke podcast, Will made rare comments about the incident. The hosts, former NBA players Matt Barns and Stephen Jackson, shared their sympathy with Will about the situation. Will responded: "That was a horrific night for me." He explained a conversation he had at home with his 9-year-old nephew, who asked him, "Why'd you hit that man, Uncle Will?"
After wiping away tears, he said, "You can't explain that to him. I can do all the justifications forever, but he'll never understand it."
© Steve GranitzWill's return to the big screen came last year in Bad Boys: Ride or Die alongside Martin Lawrence. While it received mixed reviews, many believed it was better than they anticipated.
The future of Fast and Loose may be unknown, but only time will tell who will step in as director.
