Some high-profile projects linked to actor Will Smith are stalled or under threat after his violent slap of comic Chris Rock during the recent Oscars ceremony, Hollywood media outlets have reported.
The moves would be the latest blow to Smith after the altercation on stage at the 94th Academy Awards show, which followed Rock making a joke mocking Smith’s wife, actor Jada Pinkett Smith, and her medical condition alopecia, which causes hair loss.
Streaming giant Netflix has slowed development on its upcoming action-thriller Fast and Loose, which Smith was set to star in, Variety reported. The movie trade publication said that a search for a new director for the film had been paused and added “it remains uncertain whether Netflix will return to developing Fast and Loose and, if so, whether the streamer would seek a new star for the project.”
The Hollywood Reporter also said that Apple+ had declined to comment on its drama Emancipation – about escaping from slavery – which had been expected to be released this year starring Smith, but has not had a firm date attached to it. The film news magazine also said that Sony was pausing its Smith-linked action film Bad Boys 4 , which had been in “active development” before the Oscars.
As the fallout from the controversy continues, Smith last week resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences saying that he “betrayed the trust of the Academy” and will accept “any further consequences”.
In a statement released Friday, Smith said his actions were “shocking, painful, and inexcusable”.
