Will Smith had quite a night at 94th Academy Awards. While, the actor in him must have rejoiced for winning the Oscar for best actor, as a person he lost more. It was the night when he slapped Chris Rock on live television and immediately became one of the most hated celebrities in a matter of hours. For weeks after the incident, the 54-year-old was subject to scrutiny and jokes, in addition to being banned from the Academy for 10 years.

His latest project seems to be a part of his redemption, as the subject is one that can’t be avoided even if one would want to avoid the actor. And Smith’s latest project has got a thumbs up from none other than Rihanna herself.

Will Smith’s latest film touches on a very sensitive topic

Will Smith in Emancipation
Will Smith in Emancipation

Will Smith is coming with his latest venture that touches on the sensitive topic of slavery in the USA. The film, named Emancipation is set in the era of the American Civil War. Smith plays the protagonist, a slave by the name of Peter who tries to escape slavery and traverses through Louisiana to save his life from the plantation owners who almost took his life.

The King Richard actor walked the red carpet for Emancipation earlier this week and shared the reviews that his pals from the industry had for the film. First and foremost, he described Rihanna‘s reaction to E! News.

“Rihanna loved the cinematography. She could not get over the look of the film and how it felt.”

Back when the private screening had taken place, reports slammed that both the film and its screening are little more than an attempt to gain popular favor and undo the damages that his slapgate row had incurred.

Also Read: After Chris Rock Oscars Slap, Will Smith May Bid Goodbye to Hollywood Career as His Only Movie ‘Emancipation’ Faces Fan Outrage for Showing Enslaved Man at Premiere Night

Emancipation’s private screening was a night to remember

Rihanna loves Will Smith's Emancipation
Rihanna loves Will Smith’s Emancipation
The private screening also had other guests, namely – Dave Chappelle, Tyler Perry, A$AP Rocky, and Kenya Barris. The Aladdin actor said that he could fathom the reviews of everyone who attended the watch party based on their immediate reactions to the screen. He jokingly said,

“The thing that’s great with Black people is they talk to the screen the whole time, so you don’t have to ask people’s opinion. So, I didn’t have to ask anybody’s opinion from the room.”

Late in October, the Bad Boys actor took to Instagram to share pictures of the star-studded screening. He had captioned the post,

“EPIC night!! Thanx for coming to see #Emancipation. Hope ya’ll enjoyed!!”

Emancipation private screening
The picture Will Smith shared on Instagram

Also Read: “Getting called the N-word 100 times a day by really good actors”: Will Smith Claims Filming Emancipation Was Really Tough as Actor Desperately Tries to Make Amends to Get Back into the Academy

Barris was all praises for the film in its comment section as well. He wrote,

“This night was MAGIC and your movie is truly something that will last forever!”

It remains to be seen what impact the sensitive film might have on the box office and more importantly on people’s minds. Will it absolve him of his past mistakes? Only time will tell.

Emancipation has been released in select theaters and will premiere on Apple TV+ on December 9.

Also Read: Will Smith Gets Desperate To Get Back Into Academy Awards, Woos Dave Chappelle And Rihanna To Broker Peace Terms With Chris Rock Using ‘Oscar Bait’ Emancipation Screening

Source: People
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