We are slowly approaching the one year anniversary of Will Smith’s first Oscar win for his critically acclaimed performance by Venus and Serena Williams’ father, Richard Williams, in King Richard. Naturally, the actor’s victory was overshadowed by the events between him and comedian Chris Rock. The actor is currently doing press for the film directed by Antoine Fuqua Emancipation. The film is Smith’s first film to hit theaters since the famous slap at the oscars which made the internet nervous. And while Smith declined to answer Variety’s questions about how the incident affected the film’s release, Fuqua was candid about its impact.
The director sat with Variety to discuss the shocking use of brutality and depictions of violence in his fellow man Action thriller set in the civil war, Emancipation . After the Will Smith and Chris Rock Academy Awards incident, it didn’t seem clear whether Emancipation it will come out this year. When asked how he and the producers decided to move forward with the film’s release, the director said it was still a conversation with Apple. He revealed that they are closely monitoring what people have to say about the upcoming release of the Will Smith-directed film. Fuqua told Variety:
It was still a full conversation with Apple. They were very sensitive to myself, to Will, to all the people who worked on the film. There was never a conversation with me and Apple or my producers, Todd Black and Jon Mone or Heather Washington, about the movie not coming out. It was more like, “We evaluate everything.” Let’s see what people say. They have been very careful about it. Then we showed the film to some people and their reactions were really positive, and we talked about it along the way.
Soon projections of Emancipation they were very positive – many called it a powerful and moving film that must be seen – and the positive audience reaction to the film helped shape the director’s decision to release the film this year. Antoine Fuqua said he hoped four hundred years of slavery and brutality would be more important to viewers than a “terrible” moment in Hollywood. He also said he was grateful that the powers that be at Apple decided to go ahead with the film’s release. The director continues:
Obviously he wanted people to see the film. My conversation was always: “400 years of slavery, of brutality, isn’t that more important than a bad time? We were in Hollywood and really bad things happened and we saw a lot of people get awards for doing really bad things. So I think Apple has considered all of these things and we’ve discussed a lot of them. Then the distribution and money people at Apple made a decision, and I’m grateful, really grateful.
Emancipation marks Will Smith’s first collaboration with the training day Yes the draw director. It was announced in June 2020 that the two would be collaborating on the film, but Smith’s picture took a hit when the world watched him slap Chris Rock on live TV. Recently, while promoting the movie in The Daily Show with Trevor NoahWill Smith he recalled an emotional interaction with his nine-year-old nephew.
Although the public reaction to Emancipation looks solid, based on Academy members’ feelings about Smith’s actions it’s unclear whether Fuqua’s film will make it to the Oscars. Smith shared his thoughts on the team behind the film was not recognized for their hard work due to their actions and his subsequent ban from the Academy . He told ReelBlend co-host Jake Hamilton:
I just hope these amazing artists who have come together in this project, I hope they don’t get penalized for some awful moments of indiscretion on my part.
Emancipation is based on a true story and has Smith playing a slave named Peter who escapes captivity and outsmarts hunters in cold blood on his way north, where he joins the Union Army. The one directed by Antoine Fuqua upcoming film releases in theaters Dec. 2 and streaming Dec. 9. All you need to see Emancipation comfortably at home is a AppleTV+ subscription .
Source: Cinemablend
