Image: Apple
Despite Will Smith’s Oscars slap, Apple will be releasing an upcoming film starring the actor this year. Emancipation, which stars Smith as Peter, a man who has escaped slavery and is on the run to try and return to his family, will debut in theaters on December 2nd and on Apple TV Plus on December 9th, according to Deadline. Apple has also released a teaser trailer.
Apple landed the rights to Emancipation, from director Antoine Fuqua, in a huge deal in 2020, and it’s expected to be an Oscars contender. Smith’s performance is “volcanic,” according to The New York Times’ sources. But the company was put in a tricky position after Smith slapped Chris Rock onstage at this year’s show (where he also won the award for best actor), which led to his resignation from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences and being barred from attending the Oscars for 10 years.
Variety reported in May that Emancipation was going to be delayed to 2023, but we now know that’s not the case: you’ll be able to watch the film this December.