Will Smith Gears Up For Big Hollywood Comeback After Oscars Controversy

Will Smith is reportedly attempting a career comeback with a return to the big screen. It's now been nearly seven months since the "I am Legend" actor walked on stage at the 94th Academy Awards and slapped Chris Rock in the face for cracking jokes about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. As a result of Smith's actions, he faced a slew of consequences that ultimately affected his career in many ways. According to Deadline, the Oscars issued a ban prohibiting the "King Richard" star from attending the Academy Awards for an entire decade. 

"I deeply regret that my behavior has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us," Smith said in a statement shared on Instagram. In addition to the ban, production for several of his upcoming projects was also put on hold. Rolling Stone reported that the actor's Netflix film "Fast and Loose," and Sony's fourth "Bad Boy" movie, were both momentarily paused until further notice. However, as the situation continued to escalate, Netflix eventually canceled Smith's film "Bright 2" from moving forward, per Esquire.

While many thought the entire ordeal would be career-ending for "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" star, Smith is proving to the world that redemption is possible.

Will Smith is making sure his next project is going to be a memorable one. The Hollywood star was recently spotted at a screening for his upcoming movie "Emancipation" — a historical film directed by Antoine Fuqua that shines a light on slavery and the lengths a man will go to fight for his freedom, according to People. "Throughout my career, I've turned down many films that were set in slavery," Smith said at the event (via Hollywood Reporter). "I never wanted to show us like that. And then this picture came along," he added. "This is a film about resilience. This is a film about faith."

Smith's performance in "Emancipation" will be his first on-screen project since he infamously slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars. According to IMDb, the actor reportedly has several movies like "Hancock 2," "The Karate Kid 2," and "Uptown Saturday Night," all in pre-production. "Certainly Hollywood loves comeback stories where stars seemingly done with the business bounce back with a big project such as with Robert Downey Jr., Mel Gibson, Drew Barrymore, and Winona Ryder," a source told The Sun. 

According to Variety, "Emancipation" is slated to hit theaters this December and will signify the next moments in Smith's career.