Will Smith, son promote world premiere

Will Smith, left, and his son Jaden explain to journalists one of the scenes of their upcoming new movie, “After Earth,” during a news conference at the Conrad Hotel in Yeouido, Seoul, Tuesday. / Yonhap

By Yun Suh-young

Will Smith and his son Jaden visited Seoul, Tuesday, to promote their new film "After Earth.’’

The movie is a mixture of science fiction and an old-fashioned father-and-son tale and will have its world premiere here.

Talking with Korean reporters in Seoul, Smith said the movie had personal meaning for him and his son, a budding movie star in his own right.

"One of the great ideas in the film is a father who is a commander who is injured and has no choice but to let his child go through danger. That’s the beautiful aspect of the film we wanted to focus on,” he said at a news conference at the Conrad Hotel in Yeouido, ahead of its May 30 showing.

"There comes a point as a parent where you have to let them go and hope that the lessons that you have instilled and the seeds that you planted will blossom and flower in the proper moments in their lives. The concept in the film is pretty similar to what we're dealing with in real life.’’

After Earth, directed by M. Night Shyamalan of "The Sixth Sense’’ fame and produced by Will and his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, is set in the year 3072 where the only surviving humans are a father and son ― Cypher (Will) and Kitai Raige (Jaden) ― who struggle to fight off attacks by aliens. This is the first film since the 2007 hit, "In Pursuit of Happiness,’’ for the father-and-son team to work together

"It’s been seven years since we worked together. This time it seemed like collaboration between both of us. We discussed how we both wanted the shots to look,’’ said Jaden, comparing this experience to the previous one when it involved more learning from his father.

Unlike the stern, rigid father figure in the film, Jaden said his father was cool and nice in real life.

“Normally he's how he is right now: cool, nice, and forgiving. He lets you do what you feel like you need to do if it’s not a life or death matter,” he said.

To Smith, the film making process was a struggle to balance the parenting and producing process.

"The greatest struggle for me was overcoming the warrior mindset and having to release the goal of the film having to be the No. 1 success, and open my heart to the success being the growth of my son. It was a difficult mental, emotional and spiritual shift for me,” he said.

Regarding the Korean premiere, he said he had lots of hope for the Korean audience to make the film a success.

"The Korean film market is growing and expanding at a rate that is far beyond the U.S. market for expansion. It opens here on May 30 but it doesn’t open until the 31st in the U.S. So don’t disappoint me,’’ he laughed.

“If this movie is successful in Korea I'm going to do a song with Psy,” he added.

Jaden said if the movie was a success here, he was going to do a record with G-Dragon, a member of the popular K-pop boy group, Big Bang. He said he had an entertaining night out with the singer and also members of the girl band 2NE1 upon his arrival Monday.