Will Smith is ready to come back to the big screen after the 2022 Oscars controversy. The A-list Hollywood celebs also supported him at an advance screening of his upcoming film Emancipation. The Oscar-winning actor took to his social media and shared an adorable photo from an Emancipation screening attended by several A-list celebs.
Smith took a selfie with Rihanna and A$AP Rocky in the photos. Also in the pictures were comedian Dave Chappelle, film star Tyler Perry and more. Standing behind Smith was Rihanna, who flashed playfully bunny ears behind his head while looking as if she was about to kiss her partner A$AP Rocky. Dave Chappelle stood grinning in the centre of the crowd in a brown shirt, while Tyler Perry showed off a playfully surprised expression while wearing a cool blue jacket.
Also joining in the celebration was Black-ish creator Kenya Barris, along with music producer Corey Smyth and Will’s longtime friend Fawn Boardley, who has also served as a style director for him and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith, who didn’t appear to have attended the screening. Will seems to be trying to revive his career and reestablish himself as he returns with his first major project since he stunned the world when he slapped Chris Rock during Academy Awards live telecast.
Emancipation appeared to have sparked some deep conversations among the group, as a follow-up photo should Chappelle standing with his back to the screen as he spoke to the other members of the audience. Smith’s latest film is a historical thriller that follows an enslaved man named Peter who escapes from a Louisiana plantation and braves treacherous territory and slave hunters to make it up north to Union territory, where he is able to join the fight against the Confederacy.
The film is inspired by the life of a former slave immortalized in horrifying photos of his back, which was covered in spiderwebbing keloid scars from repeated whippings. The film is Smith’s first major work since he took to the stage at the Academy Awards and slapped Chris Rock on the face while he was in the midst of presenting.
The Independence Day star said he was incensed by a joke Rock made about his wife’s lack of hair, which she shaved off to cover up hair loss she had experienced. Despite sweeping the Oscars up in controversy, Smith won the award for Best Actor for starring as the father of Venus and Serena Williams in King Richard. Emancipation is set for a December 2 release in theatres, followed by a streaming release on Apple TV+ on December 9.
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