Will Smith Sends Serious Message to Fans Who Don't Want To Watch His New Movie After Chris Rock Slap at Oscars

After slapping comedian Chris Rock on stage at this year's Oscars, Will Smith said he would "completely understand" if movie fans were not ready to watch his new film, "Emancipation."

Since his controversial Will Smith Chris Rock slap, Smith has not released a new film until "Emancipation."

After Rock joked about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, and her hair loss due to alopecia, Smith whacked the comedian's face.

Fox News noted that Smith has issued several apologies and resigned from the Academy since the incident.

When interviewed by FOX 5 DC's Kevin McCarthy, the actor said he would understand and respect if people were not ready or interested in seeing his film because of his behavior during the Oscars.

He said his crew is his top priority and that the film is director Antoine Fuqua's finest work of his career.

He said that his staff had created "some of the best work of their whole careers" and hoped his actions would not negatively affect them.

Smith has high hopes the film will inspire people to open their hearts to see and appreciate and support the incredible artists in and around this picture due to "the power of the film, the timeliness of the story."

Will Smith's New Movie

In his new movie, "Emancipation," Will Smith plays Peter, a slave who runs away from a farm in Louisiana.

Peter must rely on his wits, strong faith, and profound love for his family as he escapes from slave hunters and travels across Louisiana in search of freedom.

According to the film's synopsis, the movie was inspired by the 1863 photographs of a Union Army medical examination of a man named "Whipped Peter" published in Harper's Weekly.

People wrote that one of the images in the collection is titled "The Scourged Back," which depicts a wounded man's back. This image, as stated in the synopsis, "ultimately contributed to growing public opposition to slavery."

The Effect of Will Smith's Chris Rock Slap During the Oscars

Following the controversial slap, rumors spread that Apple planned to delay the film's release until 2023 to allow the controversy to die down.

However, the new release date is December 2 in theaters and December 9 on Apple TV+, wrote Daily Mail.

The streaming service may have given up on its hopes of producing an awards season hit because of the film's short theatrical run.

Because of his behavior at the Oscars in March, Smith resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He was also banned from future ceremonies for a decade.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Emancipation - Official Trailer | Apple TV+ - From Apple TV