Will Smith’s Emancipation to enter 2023 Oscar race – just months after Chris Rock slap
Will Smith’s first big film project since slapping comedian Chris Rock live on stage at the 94th Academy Awards will be released later this year.
Emancipation received its first screening on Sunday in Washington as part of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Legislative Conference.
The movie had originally been slated for release earlier this year, but was pushed back after Smith’s “unprecedented behaviour” at the biggest awards in the showbiz calendar.
It will be released in select cinemas on 2 December, before coming to Apple TV + a week later, and so will be eligible for the 2023 Oscars race.
Emancipation tells the true story of “Whipped Peter,” who joined the Union Army in the 1860s after escaping from slavery in Louisiana.
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Will Smith apologises to Chris Rock for slap
Shocking photos taken during his army medical examination – showing his bare back heavily mutilated from whipping – were widely shared as part of the abolitionist movement at the time and went on to help in the fight against slavery.
The film is produced by Smith, who also plays the lead role of Peter.
In March, Smith was widely condemned for hitting Rock after the comedian made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
Rock had referred to Pinkett Smith’s shortly shaved hair, comparing her to GI Jane. Pinkett Smith has been vocal about her battle with the autoimmune disease alopecia, which causes hair loss.
The same night, Smith went on to win his first Oscar for his role in King Richard, a biopic about the father of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams.
Smith was banned from all Academy events for ten years.
Despite apologising to the Academy on the night of the slap, it took Smith three months to apologise to Rock by way of a five-minute video released on Instagram.
Rock later dismissed it as a “hostage video”.
A teaser trailer for Emancipation released by Apple TV+ shows Smith wading through Louisiana swamps as the lead character, Peter, battles to escape slavery.
The film is directed by Training Day filmmaker Antoine Fuqua, and also stars Ben Foster and Charmaine Bingwa.
Last year, Apple become the first streaming service to win best picture at the Oscars, with Coda.
Entertainment
Snoop Dogg becomes co-owner and investor of Swansea football club saying it’s ‘an underdog just like me’
Police are taking no further action over Kneecap’s performance at Glastonbury.
Officers said they had investigated “comments about a forthcoming court case made during Kneecap’s performance” at the festival on 28 June.
However, after Crown Prosecution Service advice, they decided there is not enough evidence “to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offence”.
The Avon & Somerset force started investigating the Irish group’s show last month, as well as comments by punk-rap duo Bob Vylan.
It said they were looking at a possible public order incident.
Police said on Friday that the investigation into Bob Vylan’s performance was ongoing.
The London duo were widely criticised – and caused a BBC crisis – after leading on-stage chants of “death to the IDF” (Israel Defence Forces).
Kneecap’s Liam Og O Hannaidh appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in June. Pic: PA
Kneecap posted a photograph on Instagram, which the group said was an email from police announcing the case was being dropped.
They said their packed Glastonbury gig was a “celebration of love and solidarity” and reporting used “wildly misleading headlines”.
Fears over what Kneecap might do or say during the performance had prompted the BBC not to show it live.
The group said: “Every single person who saw our set knew no law was broken, not even close… yet the police saw fit to publicly announce they were opening an investigation.”
“There is no public apology, they don’t send this to media or post it on police accounts,” they added.
The police statement on Friday said they had informed Kneecap of their decision to drop the case.
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One of the group’s members appeared in court in June charged with a terror offence.
Liam Og O hAnnaidh is accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah, a proscribed organisation in the UK, at a gig last year.
He was released on unconditional bail ahead of a second court appearance in August.
Entertainment
Tomorrowland: ‘Devastating’ blaze destroys main stage at major festival – two days before it was due to begin
A huge fire has destroyed the main stage of a major festival in Belgium – two days before it was due to begin.
Tomorrowland is a dance music event as big as Glastonbury – and David Guetta was due to perform.
Footage showed flames and thick plumes of black smoke engulfing the stage and spreading to nearby woodland on Wednesday.
The fire gutted the main stage
Fire crews attempt to bring the blaze under control
The annual festival in the town of Boom, north of Brussels, is one of the biggest in Europe and attracts about 400,000 people over two consecutive weekends.
It is famous for its immersive and elaborate designs and attracts big names within dance music – including Guetta, best known for tracks When Love Takes Over and Titanium.
Dutch DJs Martin Garrix and Charlotte de Witte were also due to perform, along with the likes of Swedish House Mafia, Eric Prydz and Alok.
Black smoke could be seen rising into the sky
The festival’s website described the creative elements which went into the elaborate main stage.
The theme, described as Orbyz, was “set in a magical universe made entirely out of ice” and “full of mythical creatures”.
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Organisers said no one was injured in the blaze but confirmed “our beloved main stage has been severely damaged”, adding they were “devastated”.
Spokesperson Debby Wilmsen added: “We received some truly terrible news today. A fire broke out on the Tomorrowland site … and our main stage was essentially destroyed there, which is truly awful.
“That’s a stage that took years to build, with so much love and passion. So I think a lot of people are devastated.”
Spokesperson Debby Wilmsen told reporters ‘a lot of people are devastated’
Despite the fire, Tomorrowland organisers said they were still expecting 38,000 festivalgoers at DreamVille, the event’s campsite.
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