It was a slap in the face that shocked America, and will probably be remembered for the 2022 Academy Awards ceremony. While Will Smith will be remembered in disgrace for punching Cheers Rock, he also joined the list of 2022 Oscar winners for his role in “Good Richard.” Now his next film, “Emancipation,” which has just released its first trailer, may be in competition for awards next year, and Academy voters have some thoughts.
In an extensive report produced by THR, many voters from across the film industry were asked if they would consider voting for Smith ahead of Oscar season. Responses range from cautious agreement to aggressive opposition to the idea. From the actor ‘s branch , one voter said:
Emancipation conducted its first extended screening a few days ago, and people speak well of it. Many who saw the film wrote that it was “powerful” and “inspiring.” In general, the opinion about the film is positive. Some voters in the article actually said that if the film and performance were phenomenal, they would think about voting for him, like this member of the musical branch:
Smith recently wrote about “Emancipation,” which is scheduled for 2023 at the beginning of the year. He said that this film was the “most difficult” he had worked on and thanked Apple for making it. However, even if the film and performance are phenomenal, many Academy voters don’t want to consider Smith. Like Lawrence David Folds, a member of the production department who said:
The King Richard actor apologized to Rock for the slap. However, Rock responded sharply to Smith’s apology. Many people associated with the Academy have also given harsh answers about whether Smith should be considered for any awards this year. It will be interesting to see how this conversation develops when the awards season begins. You can read more about the many responses from Academy voters in THR history and stay tuned to CinemaBlend for updates on Emancipation, Will Smith and the upcoming Oscar race.
