'Emancipation': Will Smith's first film post-Oscar's feud with Chris Rock earns praise

After the infamous slap gate incident with comedian Chris Rock at the 94th Academy Awards, Will Smith is finally making his return to the movies. The Oscar-winning actor is all set to star in Antoine Fuqua-directorial, Emancipation, which also marks the former's first film since Oscar's incident when he slapped Chris Rock on the stage of Dolby theatre as the latter made a joke on the King Richard actor's wife's baldness. As a result of his actions, Smith also had to resign from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and was banned from allegedly attending Academy events for 10 years.

Smith decides to advance in his career despite still having to live with the ramifications of his one decision on the Oscar stage. The actor's upcoming film Emancipation had its first screening in Washington, D.C. on October 1, 2022, before its scheduled release by Apple TV+ on December 9, 2022, and it garnered immense praise from the audience, as evident from their reactions on social media.

As per The Hollywood Reporter, while speaking at the screening, Smith talked about the forthcoming film, stating that it's about faith and the heart of a man.

"Throughout my career, I've turned down many films that were set in slavery. I never wanted to show us like that. And then this picture came along. And this is not a film about slavery. This is a film about freedom. This is a film about resilience. This is a film about faith. This is a film about the heart of a man — what could be called the first viral image. Cameras had just been created, and the image of whipped Peter went around the world."

Will Smith receives praise for Emancipation post-screening

Viewers have been sharing reviews about the film post its screening at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's 51st Annual Legislative Conference. "I had the pleasure of watching the film #Emancipation and can't begin to tell how powerful this is for OUR community and OUR history. It's a story of adversity, resilience, love, and of triumph. Thank you Antoine Fuqua and Will Smith for sharing your gifts!," NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson wrote on Twitter.

 Tonya J. Williams praised the Will Smith-starrer film and called it a "powerful & gut-wrenching depiction of the horrors of slavery in America". "[Smith] who masterfully played the role, Peter, spoke about how he (and we) hold space in this world using Peter's life as the example. Release this film," Williams wrote.

Helmed by Antoine Fuqua, the 2022 action-thriller film Emancipation is written by William N. Collage. The film stars Will Smith and Ben Foster in lead roles. will premiere in theatres on December 2, 2022, followed by a December 9 release on Apple TV+.

Image: AP