Will Smith’s slap attack on comedian Chris Rock at the last Oscars continues to make waves. As the New York Times (“NYT”) reported yesterday, Apple TV is currently struggling to deal with the film “Emancipation,” a Civil War drama starring Smith that should have been an Oscar nominee.
“Award-style $120 million film”
Apple stands with a wacky, unreleased “$120 million award-style movie starring a star no longer welcome at the biggest show of them all,” according to the NYT. Smith was banned from all Oscar events for ten years after the scandal. However, he can still be nominated for a prize.
The “NYT” reported, citing anonymous sources, that Apple is currently in talks about the right time for the release. One option is to show the film this year and thus send it into the next award season. But there are also considerations to hold back the film until 2023.
Either way, the publication harbors an incalculable risk for Apple – because criticism of the employment of the “toxic” Smith is just as possible as enthusiasm about the strip. The film was completed before the scandalous Oscars and had already been traded as an award candidate.
Story of the Slave Gordon
“Emancipation” tells the true story of Gordon, a refugee slave who joined the Northern States in the civil war between the Northern and Southern states and fought against his former enslavers. He is best known for his back, which was disfigured by whippings. A photo of the scarring was deliberately distributed by anti-slavery opponents.