Will Smith be able to overcome the controversy around the slap heard around the world to win his second Oscar?
That’s the question Apple has to grapple with after announcing it will release “Emancipation,” a runaway slave drama it paid Smith $35 million to star in and produce. The streamer is betting the furor over Smith’s assault on Chris Rock at the Oscars has died down, especially after Smith recorded an awkward apology video.
But even if Smith becomes the first performer since Tom Hanks to win back-to-back Best Actor Oscars, he won’t be able to collect his award in person. He won’t even be able to accept it via satellite. That’s because in April, facing almost certain expulsion, Smith decided to resign from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. This was followed almost immediately by the Academy’s Board of Governors’ decision to ban him from televising the Academy Awards and Academy-sponsored events for 10 years.
But even if he can’t accept his award on the show, Smith can still be nominated and even win another Oscar.
It’s unclear how aggressively Smith will campaign for the award or if Apple will even push him into the crowded Best Actor race, which also includes Brendan Fraser (“The Whale”), Austin Butler (“Elvis”), Colin Farrell ( “The Banshees of Inisherin”) and Hugh Jackman (“The Son”), neither of whom slapped a beloved stand-up at a global TV event. But if Smith decides to press the flesh, he He won’t be able to make it at Academy gatherings, so he’ll have to focus on events presented by the likes of SAG and the Golden Globes.
If Smith’s performance was able to overcome his publicly perceived “blacklist,” the Academy’s acting wing, which includes approximately 1,400 former colleagues, acquaintances and performers working near Hollywood, may place him on their ballot to receive a nomination when voting. January 12-17. The official names will be announced on January 24.
Will Smith in “Emancipation” (Apple Original Movies)
Apple
In the film, Smith plays Peter, a character based on the infamous “Whipped Peter”, a runaway slave whose photo of his scourged back became one of the most publicized images of the abolitionist movement during the American Civil War.
But that’s not the only category Smith can be nominated for.
The Academy has 18 branches that make up the approximately 9,600 eligible voting members. In addition to voting in their specific area of expertise, everyone votes in the best picture category, with their ballots having 10 slots available to list their favorite movies of the year.
If “Emancipation” were to be nominated for the Academy’s highest honor, Smith, who is one of the film’s producers, alongside Jon Mone (with his first full producer credit) and former nominees Todd Black ( “Fences”), Joey McFarland (“The Wolf of Wall Street”) would be among the nominated producers (note: the Academy makes all final decisions on eligible producer nominees).
Double-nominated for Best Actor and Best Picture ‘King Richard’, Smith made history last year as the second black man to be nominated in both categories (after Denzel Washington for ‘Fences’) and the first black man to perform in an acting win.
“Emancipation” was screened over the weekend in Washington D.C. as part of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation legislative conference, with groups from the Congressional Black Caucus, Historically Black College and Universities, National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, Power Rising and #WinWithBlackWomen. Smith and Fuqua spoke in person at the event.
Initial reactions were positive from attendees, including Donna Brazile, former chair of the Democratic National Committee, say in a tweet“powerful image highlighting how Black ppl [people] fought for freedom.
Tonya J. Williams, director of strategic communications for Emily’s List, called him “A powerful and heartbreaking portrayal of the horrors of slavery. Will Smith, who masterfully played Peter, spoke about how he (and we) hold space in this world using Peter’s life for example.
Additionally, Angela Rye, Director and CEO of IMPACT Strategies, also called him “a powerful story that is not rooted in our history, but also in our resilience as a people.”
For Apple, the decision to release “Emancipation” was obvious. As it stands, the defending champion for Best Picture of last year’s “CODA” (2021) has a beloved yet silent charmer “Cha Cha Real Smooth” from the writer, director and star CooperRaiff. Toronto did not increase its other titles significantly – “Causeway” with Jennifer Lawrence, “Raymond & Ray” with Ewan McGregor and “The Greatest Beer Run Ever” with Zac Efron. Next year, the streamer will juggle two masters of cinema, Martin Scorsese with “Killers of the Flower Moon” and Ridley Scott with “Napoleon”. It would be ridiculous to inject a barrage of slapping-related questions into the fray.
Lily: the latest predictions, visit Variety Oscar Center.
However, it should be noted that Smith is not the only owner of “Emancipation”. Antoine Fuqua, an admired and deeply respected director for more than 25 years, is at the helm. The same person who gave Denzel Washington the vehicle that brought him his long-awaited lead actor statuette for “Training Day” (2001). If the buzz about the film’s quality turns out to be true and we’ve come to our “Fuqua moment” when in 94 years only six black directors have been nominated, shouldn’t that be allowed?
Can Apple weather this “emancipation” storm for all creatives involved? Are Oscar voters and consumers ready to put the slap in the face? Awards season will tell.