Release Date Set For Will Smith's First Project Since Oscars Slap

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A release date has been set for Will Smith's first project since he slapped Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars.

On Monday (October 3), Apple dropped the trailer for Emancipation and announced that the film will release in theaters on December 2 and on Apple TV+ a week later on Dec. 9, Variety reports.

In the historical drama, Smith portrays a runaway slave searching for his family in Louisiana.

A pre-screening of the film was held during the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s 51st Annual Legislative Conference over the weekend.

NAACP CEO Derrick Johnson called Emancipation, directed by Antoine Fuqua, “a story of adversity, of resilience, of love, and of triumph.”

"I had the pleasure of watching the film #Emancipation and can’t begin to tell how powerful this is for OUR community and OUR history," Johnson tweeted Saturday. "It’s a story of adversity, of resilience, of love, and of triumph."

"Thank you Antoine Fuqua and Will Smith for sharing your gifts!" he added.

The film marks Smith's comeback to the big screen after he was banned from the Academy for 10 years.

Apple previously moved to delay the film's release to 2023 as Smith became the center of controversy for walking on stage and striking Rock after he joked about Jada Pinkett Smith's hair.

Smith spoke out about the incident and apologized in an Instagram video posted in July.

Find the trailer for Smith's upcoming film below.

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