I Am Legend grossed $100 million in its first seven days, so Will Smith may have just tied the record — set by Tom Cruise and possibly Tom Hanks — of starring in seven consecutive movies that crossed the century mark. I say “may have” and “possibly” because it depends on what sort of films you count.
For example, if you don’t count voice-acting in animated films, then Hanks’s role in Toy Story 2 (1999) and Smith’s role in Shark Tale (2004) would have to be cut from their lists, leaving them with six-movie streaks.
And if you count films in which actors had cameos as themselves, then Cruise’s role in Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002) would boost his streak to eight movies, while Smith’s role in Jersey Girl (2004; my review) would interrupt his current streak and cut it down to five (or four, if we don’t count his cartoon).
And if you count the IMAX documentaries that are narrated by these actors, then Cruise’s involvement in Space Station 3-D (2002) would interrupt his streak and cut it down to five (or six, if we count his cameo in the Austin Powers movie).
The main thing that sets Smith apart from Cruise and Hanks right now is that his streak is still ongoing. Cruise’s streak came to an end this year with the flop that was Lions for Lambs, and Hanks’s streak was broken three years ago by The Ladykillers — and it seems likely that any new streak on his part would have to wait until after his current film, Charlie Wilson’s War.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In