Not that Sonnenfeld and Smith ever lost faith in “Wild Wild West”–or in each other. This is their follow-up to the box-office hit “Men in Black,” and the two are already preparing a third collaboration, the life story of Muhammad Ali. When Sonnenfeld locked on to the story of how West–the most charming and urbane cowboy ever–outsmarts an evil genius and saves the world, he rushed the script to Smith. Sonnenfeld jokes that he plans to make all his movies with Smith. Both men sat down last week with NEWSWEEK’s Corie Brown to talk about their movies–and their friendship.

BROWN: Will, is it as good for you as it is for Barry?

SMITH: With Barry Sonnenfeld, the least you are going to get is something you have never seen before. Barry has a really unique view of the world. Like the fact that in “Men in Black,” aliens already exist on earth–normally people would freak out. Barry said, “No. You’re not scared. You’re excited.” And so what if we have a Western where the hero is a black guy. Ka-ping!

SONNENFELD: I learned early on, if you surround yourself with people who are much better than yourself and then sort of stutter and mumble, they will do what they do best and you can pretend to be a really good director. That’s how I direct Will. I want Will on the set even on days when he’s not in the scene. Let’s face it, Will’s the codirector… and, have you ever seen anyone as gorgeous as Will in this movie? When you’re with him, there is this strange magnetism that makes you think that you are in a world of some higher being.

He’s one naked higher being in the movie. SONNENFELD: We actually had one shot where you saw Will totally naked from the back. It was Randy, really, Will’s stunt double. It didn’t end up in the movie. Randy’s a great guy, but we’d say to him, “Why the sad butt?”

SMITH: I have a distinct butt.

SONNENFELD: It’s pert and it’s friendly.

SMITH: It’s almost beaming.

“Wild Wild West” is a signature Sonnenfeld comedy. But why ask Barry to direct the story of Muhammad Ali’s life?

SMITH: Because he cried when I asked him. Baz is my man. He is passionate and he gets the story. He understands what would make the film great. This is going to be really difficult for me. You become a different person when you play this kind of role. You need someone who understands you.

SONNENFELD: If Will does anything less than perfect as Ali, it’ll suck. He’s playing a person everyone knows is unique and powerful. He can’t not do it perfect.

You prepared for “Ali” while making “West” by boxing each other. But did you need to knock Barry out?

SMITH: I did not hurt Barry. Will did not hurt Barry. Barry hurt himself on me.

SONNENFELD: I thought I could take him.

SMITH: It’s part of my charm that people think they can beat the living daylights out of me. Baz hit the floor like a sack of wet potatoes.

Wasn’t your real fight with the Hollywood rumor mill over those test-screening reviews? SONNENFELD: We had one test screening in San Jose. Everyone who was there had been told they were seeing “The Matrix.” When they announced the new Will Smith comedy instead, the entire audience booed. Warner Brothers got scared. Hollywood could smell Warners’ fear. To their credit, when I told them how to give the film what it needed, Warners totally supported me. The film got much better. But every film I make gets much better.

Didn’t you guys ever get angry with each other?

SONNENFELD: Only once, during shooting. And Will was the only one fuming. Sweetie [Sonnenfeld’s wife] woke up one day dizzy, and I decided she had brain cancer. I got done with a shot, lay down in the wet grass and started to wail. And I realized that a large black man in a cowboy outfit was hugging me, weeping uncontrollably with me. Tears were pouring. Snot was flowing. I said, “I think Sweetie is dying.”

SMITH: I’m assuming they went to the hospital, the doctors talked to him. I’m thinking about Jada [Pinkett, his wife]. What would I do. This is my friend. I felt it bad.

SONNENFELD: For me it was a total catharsis. I got it out and I realized I was just hungry and it had had nothing to do with Sweetie. I got up and got some dinner. I think Will was angry because he gave so much of himself.

SMITH: Hey, man, we can’t say this stuff in a magazine, I’m the hero in this movie.