Will Smith’s Steampunk Western Remake Is Even Weirder Than We Realized

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Will Smith started his career with the popular TV show The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and has since starred in a variety of films, including action and comedies. He’s gained a large and loyal following worldwide. While many fans can agree on his most unusual movie, few know the even stranger story behind one of its most surprising scenes.

Following his successes in Independence Day and other films, Will Smith became a major action star in the 1990s. As his popularity grew, he explored different genres, including science fiction, and sometimes took on unusual roles. In 1999, he appeared in a film that became one of the biggest box office failures ever made, and it’s still remembered for how strange it was. Despite the film’s financial struggles, the story behind one particularly infamous scene is almost a movie in itself, and the comedy director involved shared the details shortly after the film’s release.

Wild Wild West Remade A Fun Buddy Cop Series

Will Smith starred as Jim West in the 1999 movie Wild Wild West, a remake of the classic 1960s TV show. After his success in the 1997 film Men in Black, Warner Bros. hoped to repeat that success with this Western adventure. The movie centers on West, a charming and brave military officer, who teams up with US Marshal Artemis Gordon. They are assigned by President Ulysses S. Grant to investigate a former Confederate soldier and his connection to the vanishing of several scientists.

West and Gordon team up and travel across the American West on their private train, The Wanderer. Their pursuit of the dangerous Confederate General McGrath leads them to a surprising connection with Arliss Loveless, a former secessionist and incredibly clever inventor. They soon discover Loveless is plotting against the United States with his inventions, making him an enemy of the two lawmen. When the plot threatens President Grant, West and Gordon must rely on their intelligence to defeat a villain known for his strange and wicked mind.

The movie is a bit of a mixed bag, with some really strong moments and some weaker ones, depending on who you ask. Will Smith and Kevin Kline have fantastic chemistry together, and Salma Hayek complements it perfectly. However, the over-the-top spider tank introduced by the character Loveless felt out of place to some, although others believe it was so entertaining that it made up for any flaws.

The Bizarre Story Behind a Steampunk Spider

When Loveless showed up driving a massive mechanical spider, many viewers felt the movie officially jumped the shark. What started as a quirky buddy cop film completely lost touch with reality and the plot became increasingly unbelievable. Interestingly, few people know the story behind this turning point, and Kevin Smith happened to have a unique perspective on it.

Before starring in his own superhero film, Will Smith was involved in a different Superman project with producer Jon Peters. Nicolas Cage was set to play Superman in this earlier attempt, which was a pet project for Peters, who had very specific ideas about the character. Smith has mentioned that, beyond the hero himself, Peters’ biggest request was to include a giant spider – later called the “Thanagarian Snare Beast.” Interestingly, this creature actually appeared briefly with Cage in a CGI flashback sequence in the 2023 film, The Flash.

Following a falling out with Peters, Smith was removed from the project and started developing his own story with a new team. Years later, during a question-and-answer session before the release of his film Dogma in 1999, director Kevin Smith described going to see Barry Sonnenfeld’s Wild Wild West. Aware that Peters had worked on the film, Smith was surprised – and reminded of their difficult collaboration – when a large mechanical spider appeared on screen.

Ironically, despite all the work on Superman Lives, it was Nicolas Cage who eventually got the bizarre spider scene he wanted – but in a different movie. This also explains why the scene feels so strange compared to the rest of the film. Kevin Smith later recounted the story in the documentary The Death of Superman Lives: What Happened?, where producer Jon Peters admitted his fondness for the prop. Smith humorously described how other creators characterized Peters’ obsession: “Every day with that f-cking spider.”

The Film Isn’t As Bad as People Say

Despite its flaws, Wild Wild West has a certain appeal, largely due to Will Smith’s performance and natural charisma. Paired with Salma Hayek and Kevin Kline, Smith offered a fresh take on the Western genre when it wasn’t in favor with critics. Though the movie was costly and overly ambitious—and ultimately didn’t succeed—the actors weren’t the problem. When the film avoids excessive special effects, genuinely funny moments shine through.

It’s unusual how a beloved scene from a cancelled movie ended up in a famously unsuccessful film that few people watched. Despite being a box office disappointment, Will Smith’s Wild Wild West has some enjoyable parts, and Kevin Smith’s story about making it makes the whole experience worthwhile.

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2026-02-10 03:11