Summary
Overview
The How Did This Get Made podcast dives into the 1999 steampunk western Wild Wild West, with hosts Paul Scheer, Jason Mantzoukas, and June Diane Raphael joined by guest Kevin Smith. The group dissects this notorious box office disappointment that starred Will Smith and Kenneth Branagh, focusing on its bizarre production history, the infamous giant mechanical spider, and how producer John Peters' obsessions shaped the film. Smith shares incredible behind-the-scenes stories from his time working on Superman with Peters, revealing the spider's origin story that eventually made its way into Wild Wild West.
Introduction and the Hype Machine Behind Wild Wild West
The hosts introduce Wild Wild West and discuss how the film's pre-release hype made it seem like a surefire hit. With Barry Sonnenfeld coming off Men in Black and Will Smith at his peak after Independence Day, the combination of Old West meets steampunk technology looked promising. The discussion touches on how 1999 was an era when publicity became an art form, with studios carefully controlling information before the internet age changed everything.
- Wild Wild West combined Men in Black's team with an 80-foot mechanical spider centerpiece
- The movie had a great track record: Barry Sonnenfeld directed Men in Black, Will Smith was hot off Independence Day
- This was the era before podcasts and internet when you weren't inundated with movie information during production
" When you saw this trailer, you were like, holy shit, they may have cracked the code. Like, this may be the best movie of all time. They found a way to combine the Old West and fucking steampunk and all this stuff. "
" There was a period where you didn't know that much. You weren't inundated. It wasn't like, you know, now during the production of a movie, you hear about it all throughout. Images are released. You're seeing shit left and right. "
Robert Conrad's Rejection and Will Smith's Apology
The discussion covers how Robert Conrad, star of the original Wild Wild West TV show, refused to cameo in the film and later accepted all the Razzie Awards on its behalf because he hated it so much. Will Smith eventually apologized to Conrad for wrecking the Jim West character. The hosts debate whether such an apology was even necessary, considering Conrad didn't create the character. They also examine how the film wastes talented actors like Kevin Kline and Kenneth Branagh.
- Robert Conrad refused to cameo in Wild Wild West and accepted its Razzie Awards because he hated the movie
- Will Smith later apologized to Robert Conrad for wrecking the Jim West character
- Kevin Kline is actually really good in the movie despite the material
" Robert Conrad was asked to cameo in the Wild Wild West because he was the star of the TV show. And he said no. And then accepted all the Razzie Awards for the Wild Wild West because he hated the movie so much. "
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