While Apple TV Plus has decided to move forward with releasing Will Smith's new film Emancipation later this year, questions remain as to how it will be received. A new poll of Academy voters reveals that most will refuse to vote for Smith for Best Actor at the Oscars next year.
Emancipation, set to be released in theaters and on Apple TV Plus in December, will be Smith's first film since he assaulted Chris Rock on stage at the Academy Awards in March. The first Emancipation trailer was released yesterday. It's a story about a slave named Peter who escapes a plantation and flees pursuing hunters for ten days before he finally reaches the Union Army and joins up to fight in the Civil War. Emancipation was expected by many before the Oscars incident to have a serious chance to win Smith another award for Best Actor next year. Although he was banned from attending the Oscars ceremony for ten years, he is still eligible to be nominated for and win awards. But will people vote for him?
An informal survey of Academy members performed by The Hollywood Reporter reveals that most would refuse to vote for Smith to win an Oscar. Of the 47 members who responded to the survey, 9 said they would be able to vote for Smith, 4 said they would consider it, 11 said they would have serious trouble voting for him, and 23 said they would absolutely not vote for him. Of those who said they would not, their decision was made rather clear: responses included, “No chance,” “I will NOT,” “NO F—ING WAY,” “F— him,” “Nominating Will Smith would be a slap in the face to the Academy,” and “[Not] Even [if] it’s the best thing since Brando in On the Waterfront or The Godfather.” Several remarked that they will never vote for him again, that he should have been banned from the Academy for life, and that “the industry should shun” him.
The second biggest category was those who said they would have serious trouble voting for Smith. Many remarked that it was too soon to release the movie, and that it would be impossible for them to not have the slap in mind while weighing the nominees. Some comments included, “I doubt I would vote for him, ” “I really can't imagine it,” and “Unlikely.” However, these respondents typically mentioned that they could possibly be swayed if the performance was truly phenomenal. One remarked that Smith would have to do much more in terms of addressing what happened and making a more genuine apology before he could be considered. The smallest two categories of respondents said that they would judge the movie entirely on its merits and that they would be totally open to voting for Smith despite the Oscars slap.
Although a lot can happen in the next four months, it would seem that Smith's chances of receiving another Oscar for Emancipation are extremely slim. Nearly 75% of the survey respondents said they would be completely opposed or very unlikely to vote for him. However, most of the respondents said that the other filmmakers who worked on the film should not be punished for Smith's actions, and that they would be open to nominating the film for other categories besides acting. In any case, it seems that Academy members are far more passionate about the subject than the general public, and Emancipation will probably still perform well for Apple's streaming service.
Emancipation will release in theaters on December 2 and on Apple TV Plus on December 9, 2022.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter