Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

Will Smith's 1st Movie Since Oscars Slap To Be Released In December

Will Smith's 1st Movie Since Oscars Slap To Be Released In December

Apple made the surprise announcement that the tainted star's latest movie will hit theaters December 2, and begin streaming on Apple TV+ a week later.
Less than a year after Will Smith shocked millions around the world by slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars, his new film "Emancipation" will be released this December, Apple said Monday.

The slavery drama was broadly assumed to have been delayed in the wake of Smith's assault on comedian Rock, which drew widespread condemnation and resulted in Smith being banned from attending the Academy Awards ceremony for 10 years.

But Apple made the surprise announcement that the tainted star's latest movie will hit theaters December 2, and begin streaming on Apple TV+ a week later.

The timing means Apple will be able to submit "Emancipation" to compete at the Oscars next March, just a year after it made history as the first streamer to win the Oscar for best picture with "CODA."

Smith has kept a relatively low profile since that night at the Academy Awards, when he won best actor for his performance in "King Richard" just minutes after he had marched on stage and hit Rock for making a joke about his wife.

The former "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" star made a public apology shortly after the incident, and released an emotional social media video about the moment in July, offering to meet with Rock "whenever you're ready to talk."

The 53-year-old also resigned his membership with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences -- although the organization did not revoke his best actor award, and his decade-long ban from attending the ceremony does not prevent him being nominated for Oscars.

Smith this weekend attended an advance screening of "Emancipation" hosted with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in the US capital Washington.

The movie stars Smith as a fugitive from slavery on a harrowing journey north from Louisiana seeking freedom.

His character Peter is inspired by the infamous photograph of a slave whose back was mutilated by lashes received on a plantation, and who was dubbed "Whipped Peter."

The film is directed by Antoine Fuqua, whose 2001 police drama "Training Day" earned a best actor Oscar for Denzel Washington.

"Emancipation" was originally due to be filmed in Georgia, but production was moved last year after the southern US state approved a voting rights law that critics say is intended to depress turnout in Black and other underrepresented communities.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
×