Will Smith’s first movie since his notorious Oscars slap this year, “Emancipation,” will be released in December, putting it eligible for the upcoming awards season.
Will Smith won the best actor Oscar that night for his performance in “King Richard” following the incident with Mr. Rock. Although it was his first Oscar, he left the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences soon after, claiming that he had “betrayed” their confidence. The academy therefore prohibited him from participating in the group and all of its events for the following ten years.
Apple stated “Emancipation” will have a restricted theatrical release on December 2 before going live on the firm’s streaming service on December 9. The announcement came as the company unveiled the movie’s teaser on Monday. After much deliberation about whether Apple should release the movie this year or wait until 2023 in light of the uproar surrounding Mr. Smith after he smacked comedian Chris Rock, the announcement was made.
Emancipation, which tells the story of a man who escapes from slavery, was filmed before Smith attacked Rock on stage in February but its release date had been uncertain.
The movie will be played exclusively in theaters for one week starting on December 2 and will debut on the Apple TV+Â streaming service on December 9, Apple said.