Will Smith is still dealing with the fallout from the Slap. Smith apologized for his actions three times: once onstage when he accepted his Oscar, once afterward to Chris Rock, and finally when he resigned from the Academy. Despite his apologies, organizations that work closely with Smith continue to take action. SAG-AFTRA announced that they have been in contact with the Academy and ABC to "appropriately" address the situation within their own membership after he resigned from the Academy.
The Academy's conflicting reactions to Smith's actions and what happened that night also brought to light issues within the Oscars entire organization and how they might react in future events. Rock, who was slapped by Smith after making a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith, addressed the slap briefly before a comedy show, but said he'd "eventually" address the night and Smith with time. While Smith's career prospects are uncertain in the immediate aftermath of this weekend, here are some details on his current projects.
A week before the Oscars, David Leitch ("Bullet Train," "Deadpool 2," "Hobbs & Shaw") stepped down as director of Will Smith's Netflix film "Fast and Loose."
The reason for this was that Netflix was competing with Universal for Leitch's next project, with the latter coming out on top. Leitch will now direct Universal's "Fall Guy," starring Ryan Gosling, when it begins production in August.
Once the decision was made, Netflix advertised for a new director to take over "Fast and Loose." However, following Smith's slapping of Chris Rock on the Oscars stage last weekend, Netflix has reportedly pushed that project to the back burner.
The plot of the film was to follow a crime boss with amnesia who discovers he has been living a double life as a wealthy kingpin and a broke CIA agent. It's unclear whether the project will move forward with a new star and director, or if it will remain in development.
That's not all, according to trade sources, Sony Pictures has put a stop to a fourth "Bad Boys" film, which had been in active development with a good chunk of the script completed.
Smith resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Friday, but an investigation will continue regardless. In the coming weeks, the actor could face penalties and punitive measures from both the Academy and the Screen Actors Guild.
Smith has already completed filming for the Apple TV+ drama "Emancipation," which is currently in post-production. The streamer had planned to launch in 2022, but the release date has yet to be determined. For the time being, it is unclear how all the controversy will affect future projects.
This isn't so much a cancellation culture as it is a financial calculation, in my opinion. These studios are not as confident that as many people will want to pay to see one of Will Smith's films as they were a week ago. The bar does not have to be "we despise him and want him gone forever." It just has to be, eh, my perception of him has shifted, I'm distracted by thoughts of The Slap, so I'd rather watch something else.
Choosing to buy a movie ticket or even stream a film is, in some ways, a decision to "spend time" with the actors in it. I don't think the studios are wrong to believe that fewer people want to spend their time/money on Will Smith IP at the moment. That doesn't preclude him from making a comeback someday, returning to the public's good graces as a more three-dimensional, nuanced version of himself who has learned from his mistakes. But that is not the case right now. Rather than viewing "cancel culture" as something you stand outside, simply ask yourself as a culture consumer: are you more or less inclined to watch or listen to Will Smith's art right now than you were a week ago? I'm not in the mood, and perhaps you aren't either, and that's all it takes for a savvy studio executive to put a stop to a multi-million dollar project when they have plenty of others to focus on.
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