Thursday, December 12, 2024

Eight Months After Oscar Slap, Will Smith Gets Red Carpet Premiere in Hollywood for “Emancipation” Like it Never Happened (Reviews Not Good)

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UPDATE: Reviews are at 60% on Rotten Tomatoes and dropping. With some positive thoughts, most reviewers are nixing this film.

 

Remember how everyone was so upset about Will Smith slapping Chris Rock on live TV? Not anymore.

Tonight in Westwood not far from the Dolby Theater, Hollywood threw Smith a big red carpet gala premiere for his movie, “Emancipation,” like nothing ever happened.

Judging from clips of the red carpet, not one “press” person asked Smith about the slap. They stuck to the script and just asked about the movie. Amazing.

At the screening, Smith was introduced on stage to heavy applause and cheers.

“Thank you, thank you all!” Smith said. He made a joke about “standing in the light” when his spot on stage was lit up. He said, joking, “It’s a metaphor.”

He continued: “This project was an absolute monster of a project to make.” Smith praised his producers and crew and director, Antoine Fuqua, who was Zoomed in from Italy. He said, “This film is all about love.”

On the red carpet, Variety asked Smith about the film and he mentioned the beatings slaves took during the time of this movie. It was unironic. He did not mention the beating he tried give Chris Rock in front of 10 million people.

Emancipation opens in a dozen theaters on Friday, followed one week later by a run on Apple TV Plus and in 200 theaters. Smith is hoping for an Oscar nomination even though he’s banned from attending the Oscars. He would have to overcome Colin Farrell, Brendan Fraser, Bill Nighy, Austin Butler, and Hugh Jackman, none of whom has any controversy.

 

Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.

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