Will Smith received an early review for his latest film from Rihanna. While walking the red carpet for Emancipation earlier this week, the actor revealed the music superstar’s reaction to his film after she attended a private screening of it with some of his other star-studded group of friends in October. Will shared, “Rihanna loved the cinematography. She could not get over the look of the film and how it felt.”
The Aladdin star then added that he also got a pretty good idea of what his other friends who attended the screening, including Dave Chappelle, Tyler Perry, A$AP Rocky and Kenya Barris, also thought of the movie. The Men In Black actor added jokingly, “The thing that’s great with Black people is they talk to the screen the whole time, so you don’t have to ask people’s opinion.” Will further shared, “So, I didn’t have to ask anybody’s opinion from the room.”
Previously, in October, Smith shared photos of the screening on Instagram, including a group shot of the A-listers after the movie. Alongside the photo, the actor penned, “EPIC night!! Thanx for coming to see #Emancipation. Hope ya’ll enjoyed!!” For the unversed, Emancipation is set during the American Civil War and follows a man named Peter, played by Smith, who escapes slavery and sets out on a quest for freedom from plantation owners that nearly killed him.
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Based on true events, Emancipation marks Smith’s first film after he slapped Chris Rock onstage at the Oscars in March, resulting in his resignation from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and a ban from attending its ceremonies for the next 10 years. Meanwhile, during a recent interview, he revealed there was a ‘rage’ inside him that night.
Smith also added that, when he got home after the ceremony, his nine-year-old nephew was waiting and had seen the slap, asking him, ‘Why did you hit that man, Uncle Will?’ Will revealed on the show, ‘My little nephew Dom is nine. He is the sweetest little boy. We came home,’ when the nephew asked him a question. ‘He had stayed up late to see his uncle Will and we are sitting in my kitchen and he is on my lap and he is holding the Oscar and he is just like, “Why did you hit that man, Uncle Will?”‘ Smith said.