GERMANY: WILL SMITH GREETED BY SCREAMING FANS AT EUROPEAN FILM PREMIERE OF FILM 'WILD WILD WEST' IN HAMBURG

Record ID: 386676

  • Title: GERMANY: WILL SMITH GREETED BY SCREAMING FANS AT EUROPEAN FILM PREMIERE OF FILM 'WILD WILD WEST' IN HAMBURG
  • Date: 23rd July 1999
  • Summary: HAMBURG, GERMANY (JULY 22, 1999) (REUTERS ) (SOUNDBITE) (English) WILL SMITH: "The essence of it is kind of like a James Bond of the West. They have all these special gadgets and they are dealing with other people who are scientists and are creating other devices. It has that James Bond flair but it takes place in 1869, so its the same kind of energy with that Barry Sonne
  • Embargoed: 7th August 1999 13:00
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  • Location: HAMBURG, GERMANY
  • Country: Germany
  • Reuters ID: LVA3WAE4UNV9KQO6XPE8XQCXZ04I
  • Story Text: Screaming fans greeted film and rap star Will Smith as he celebrated the European premiere of his new film Wild Wild West in Hamburg on Thursday (July 22).
    Having staved off an alien invasion in "Independence Day"
    in 1996, and rounded up rogue extraterrestrials in "Men in Black" a year later, Smith is back on the silver screen with his interpretation of James West, a kind of "James Bond of the Old West," made famous in a 1960's television series.
    Special Agent West has been commissioned by the U.S.
    government to stop the evil genius of Dr.Arliss Loveless (played by Kenneth Branagh), who has hatched a plot to overthrow the government with a spider-like contraption called "Tarrantula".
    Special Agent Artemus Gordon (Kevin Kline) has the same goal, and at first the two work not only against Loveless but also to put each other out of business until they realize that by working together they are more efffective.
    While Gordon prefers nonviolence as a means to achieving his goals, West is the typical gunslinging, rough and tumble frontier character.His adventures and escapades take him into all kinds of dangerous and compromising situations.
    The film, which critics hated, but the movie-going public loves, was delayed and way over its US$102 million budget.Since opening in United States movie theatres on July 1st it has brought in US$76.6 million, $36.4 million on its first weekend alone.
    "Wild Wild West" is director Barry Sonnenfeld's second film with Smith, after their 1997 box office hit "Men in Black".The duo hope the chemistry between them will help make "West" this summer's blockbuster hit.
    Smith appeared at the film's opeining in three-piece suit, in the style of the 1860's, true to his character in the film.
    "I have a couple of these and Ill be surprising people in the next few weeks with them," he said before the screening.
    Later, Smith danced the night away at a party to celebrate the film's European opening in Hamburg's famous Fischmarkthalle, a hall where parties are staged as well as where Hamburg's fishermen come to sell their catch at the weekly Sunday market.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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