The incident that occurred at the Academy Awards earlier this year may have some filmgoers hesitant to watch Emancipation, the newest movie starring Best Actor Oscar winner Will Smith. For reasons that have nothing to do with the movie itself, there are some who may refuse to support Smith by boycotting anything he does. As the months pass by, more and more people seem to be easing up on the backlash against Smith, but even so, some former fans are adamant that they're not going to watch Emancipation or any of his other movies anytime soon.
For his part, Smith says he completely understands the rationale of those who feel this way. In a new interview with FOX 5 DC, Smith addressed the possibility of people skipping the film because of the infamous "Oscars slap." While noting that he respects these feelings, it does bring him concern that some filmgoers will be missing out on a fantastic film that was brought to life by the rest of the cast and crew. As Smith explains:
"I completely understand that. If someone is not ready, I would absolutely respect that and allow them their space to not be ready. My deepest concern is my team. Antoine has done what I think is the greatest work of his entire career... The people on this team have done some of the best work their entire careers. My deepest hope is that my actions don't penalize my team. So, at this point, that's what I’m working for. That's what I'm hoping for. I'm hoping that the material, the power of the film, the timeliness of the story, I'm hoping that the good that can be done would open people's hearts at a minimum to see and recognize and support the incrdible artists in and around this film.
Will Smith Could Potentially Win Another Oscar for Emancipation
After Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars, he was banned from all Academy events for the next decade. But even if he cannot attend in person, Smith is still eligible to be nominated for acting awards. That may have even been one reason why Emanipation will be getting released before the end of the year, as that now puts the film in contention for the Oscars in 2023. There had been rumors that the movie would be pushed back to allow more time for the backlash against Smith to cool, but the hope now at Apple TV+ seems to be that most people will forgive Smith and try out the film.
Inspired by a true story, Emancipation follows Smith as Peter, a former slave who outwits his captors to escape, eventually making his way North and joining the Union Army. Written by William N. Collage and directed by Antoine Fuqua, the film also stars Ben Foster, Charmaine Bingwa, Steven Ogg, and Mustafa Shakir. The movie will be hitting select theaters starting on Dec. 2, 2022, followed by a streaming release on Apple TV+ on Dec. 9. You can watch the official trailer below.