Shortly after the dust settled and people started to fully comprehend that Will Smith actually slapped Chris Rock on live TV watched by millions at the Oscars, one of the first questions was about what might happen to his upcoming film, “Emancipation.” This is a movie that was seemingly primed and ready for a huge Oscars push this year and possibly another win for Smith as the lead actor. But The Slap changed everything. Well, not everything. The film is still arriving this year, and it does have awards season hopes. However, there is a lot more to the discussion in light of Will Smith’s rough 2022.
READ MORE: Antoine Fuqua Says ‘Emancipation’ Starring Will Smith Is The “Best” Film He’s Ever Made
Speaking to Vanity Fair, while discussing “Emancipation,” filmmaker Antoine Fuqua talked about the release of the film amid all the chatter about Will Smith’s personal life and his public assault of Chris Rock. “Emancipation” is based on the true story of an escaped slave on the run from his captors and how a photograph taken of his scars led to a cultural shift in the United States. Fuqua doesn’t speak for Smith and try to explain away what happened, but he does defend the decision to release “Emancipation” right now.
“The film, to me, is bigger than that moment. Four hundred years of slavery is bigger than one moment,” Fuqua said. “My hope is that people will see it that way and watch the movie and be swept away with the great performance by Will and all the real hard work that the whole crew did.”
He added, “Of course I wanted people to see the film…We were in Hollywood, and there’s been some really ugly things that have taken place, and we’ve seen a lot of people get awards that have done some really nasty things. So I think Apple considered all those things, and we discussed a lot of those things. Then a decision was made by the people in charge of distribution and the money at Apple—and I’m grateful, I’m really grateful.”
Fuqua also discussed his love for Smith, and how the actor was nothing but great, going above and beyond with the crew, during filming. And because of that, the director thinks there might be something more to the story about what led Will Smith to snap and go on stage during the Oscars.
READ MORE: Antoine Fuqua Calls ‘American Gangster’ “Heartbreaking” & The Film That Got Away
“But you’ve got to remember, Will did a movie,” explained Fuqua. “The movie was supposed to end in October, but we didn’t finish that movie until January because of a hurricane, the heat, COVID, a tornado, and 12 other things. It was just crazy, really. It’s really hard to release a character who’s been brutalized and called the N-word every day—constantly, every day—and still be the nicest person in the world. That, I know. So no excuses for anyone or anything, but I can say that he’s a good man and I hope that people can forgive him and that we can move forward. I hope Chris and Will find a way to sit together publicly, privately, whatever, and make amends. I think it would be an incredible statement.”
It’s clear that Will Smith won’t be considered for an Oscar for his work in “Emancipation.” The controversy is still a very real thing. But Fuqua and Apple TV+ hope that people can see past the star’s personal life and see “Emancipation” with fresh eyes. “Emancipation” arrives in select theaters on December 2 before arriving on Apple TV+ the following week.