Following the drama at the Oscars, multiple projects involving Will Smith are now on hold, though at least one of them was already in limbo before Smith slapped Chris Rock on stage in front of millions.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Smith’s Netflix movie–Fast and Loose–is undergoing some changes. Director David Leitch decided about a week before the Oscars to back out of directing the film, instead choosing to make Fall Guy starring Ryan Gosling. While this is said to have transpired before the Oscars slap, Netflix did apparently make some changes following the incident. THR said Netflix “quietly moved the project to the back burner” after Smith struck Rock.
The same report that Smith’s Bad Boys 4 for Sony is now on “pause” following the Oscars incident. Before this, Sony was said to be in “active development” on the project and had sent Smith 40 pages of the script before the awards showcase. The site also reported that “a few other projects” involving Smith are now potentially pausing for the time being in the wake of the slap, though none were named outright.
Smith’s Apple TV movie Emancipation, which is already finished filming and is now in post-production, remains on schedule to debut in 2022.
Smith struck Rock on stage at the Oscars on March 27 after Rock delivered a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. There were conflicting reports about whether or not Smith was asked to leave the awards show after the event.
In any case, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that Smith could face expulsion from the Academy due to the incident; Harvey Weinstein, Bill Cosby, and Roman Polanski are among the few who have been expelled over the years. Smith resigned from the Academy on April 1, and the Academy’s investigation remains ongoing.
