Will Smith Announces Comeback After Infamous Oscar Slap
In the wake of the uproar that ensued from the "slap heard around the world", the actor resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture and had disappeared out of public sight.
The original Fresh Prince of Bel Air clearly wanted to be intentionally discrete about his upcoming return to the Box Office.
In a break from his custom of boisterously announcing projects and film premieres with gushing Instagram mobile videos, Will Smith just posted a mute official poster of Emancipation, an Apple Original film in which he stars as lead character.
The movie is an escape-from-bondage historical action thriller. It tells the story of a man called Peterâplayed by Smith; a man âwho escapes from slavery, relying on his wits, unwavering faith and deep love for his family to evade cold-blooded hunters and the unforgiving swamps of Louisiana on his quest for freedom.âÂ
Emancipation hits the movie theatres in North America on 2 December, and will be available to Apple TV+ subscribers a week later.
For the last several months, Will Smith had been living in contrition, allegedly working through issues that are safely on their way into the ages as an incredible piece of urban lore.
Back in March, at the 94th ceremony of the Oscars, Smith embarrassed himself by bounding onto stage to apply a conspicuous slap to the host of the night, comic Chris Rock.
The spectacular display of violence was meant as vindication for a joke the actor perceived as a slight against his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
In the wake of the uproar that ensued, Smith resigned from the Academy and had disappeared out of public sight. He later released an apology video that Chris Rock has stayed away from properly acknowledging.
The incident triggered a cascade of backlash, with the Board of Governors for the Academy notably hitting Smith with a 10-year ban from all Academy events.
The wake of the slap impacted the release schedule of Emancipation, as Apple initially had plans to premiere it in May 2023 at the Cannes Film Festival.
There is an obvious reason why Smith opted for a subdued announcement of the filmâs release on his Facebook page: Too much enthusiasm could expose him to the charge that his apologies were insincere and hypocritical.
And he appears to have played his cards right, judging by the slew of warming reactions to his post.
âTalented Will, I will watch it. I can not wait,â says user Mostafa Ragheb, whose show of trust and love is echoed by Colin: â[..] Despite everything, you are and will continue to be my favorite actor.â
Of course, not everyone is forgiving. And here is an illustration from Asad: âI always looked forward to seeing Will Smith on screen but after the way he behaved with Chris Rock, nothing will be the same.â
Like millions around the world, I viewed Will Smithâthrough his creative worksâas an interface with a dignifying aspect of American culture, especially Black American culture. I was therefore heartbroken to witness that slap.
In the intervening months since the incident, however, I have seen a very regretful man struggling with what he did. As a Chris Rock fanâand as a sincere Smith admirerâI have come to accept the slap as a testament that our heroes do have their faults.
Like most of us, Smith is no saint. And in the words of Nelson Mandela, the Bad Boys actor is a sinner who has kept on trying and succeeded in doing well. On the balance of things, the Original Fresh Prince of Bel Air is a good and decent fellow. Will Smith, welcome back. I hate that slap, but I love you very much.