‘Emancipation’: Will Smith “Completely Understands” If People Aren’t Ready To Support Him But Hopes New Film Is Still Embraced

Apple is putting its entire awards season hopes in the lap of Will Smith and the upcoming film, “Emancipation.” A year ago, this would have been a no-brainer, as Smith is one of the most bankable and celebrated stars in Hollywood. But after his on-stage assault of Chris Rock at this year’s Oscars, there were plenty of people who questioned whether or not this is a good time to release “Emancipation” less than a year after the controversial moment. According to Will Smith, he understands those questions but hopes people can see past the controversy to celebrate this film. 

Speaking to journalist Kevin McCarthy, Will Smith was asked about what he thinks if people are still upset over “the slap” and aren’t ready to embrace him again on screen. The actor, once again, shows his humility and accepts those feelings, but Smith just hopes the hard work of the entire cast and crew isn’t overshadowed by his Oscars controversy. 

READ MORE: Antoine Fuqua Defends Releasing ‘Emancipation’ Despite Will Smith Controversy: “400 Years Of Slavery Is Bigger Than One Moment”

“I completely understand — if someone is not ready, I would absolutely respect that and allow them their space to not be ready,” Smith explained. “My deepest concern is my team. Antoine [Fuqua] has done what I think is the greatest work of his entire career.”

He added, “The people on this team have done some of the best work of their entire careers, and my deepest hope is that my actions don’t penalize my team. 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 incredible artists in and around this film.”

Unfortunately, for the cast and crew of “Emancipation,” the Will Smith question has dominated the discussion during the press cycle of the film. Antoine Fuqua, the film’s director, has even spoken about it and shared his hopes that people would look past Will Smith’s actions and focus on the important story presented in the film.

“Emancipation” tells the true story of an escaped slave on the run as he attempts to flee his captors and make it to the North. But his escape is only the first part, as the man would go on to gain international fame after a picture of his scarred back is shared in newspapers all around. 

Again, Apple is hoping “Emancipation” will overcome the controversies and earn the respect of awards organizations and critics. We’ll have to see if this bet pays off when “Emancipation” arrives in theaters on December 2 and Apple TV+ on December 9.