Will Smith got back into the swing of things on Monday when he revealed an impressive lineup of stars who attended an advance screening of his upcoming film Emancipation.
A new film Emancipation of Will Smith is joined by A-listers Rihanna, Dave Chappelle…
He smiled in an Instagram photo with Rihanna and A$AP Rocky, as well as comedian Dave Chappelle, film star Tyler Perry, and others.
Will appears to be attempting to relaunch his career and reestablish himself by releasing his first major project since shocking Academy Awards viewers earlier this year when he slapped Chris Rock on stage. He was dressed casually in a cream-colored striped shirt with a charcoal jacket.
Will took a selfie with a toothy smile and an extremely thick beard and close-cropped hair.
Rihanna stood behind him, flashing bunny ears behind his head while wearing a white jacket. She wore her hair tamed and swept over one eye, and she flaunted her perfect pout while appearing to kiss her partner A$AP Rocky. Rocky wore a white trucker cap and grinned from ear to ear.
In the center of the crowd, Dave Chappelle stood grinning in a brown shirt, while Tyler Perry wore a cool blue jacket and showed off a playfully surprised expression.
Black-ish creator Kenya Barris was also present, as was music producer Corey Smyth and Will’s longtime friend Fawn Boardley, who has also served as a style director for him and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith, 51, who didn’t appear to join the screening.
The film appeared to have sparked some deep discussions among the audience members, as evidenced by Chappelle standing with his back to the screen as he spoke to the other members of the audience.
Smith’s most recent film is a historical thriller directed by Antoine Fuqua in which he plays Peter, an enslaved man who escapes from a Louisiana plantation and braves treacherous territory and slave hunters to make it up north to Union territory, where he can join the fight against the Confederacy.
Smith’s first major work since taking the stage at the Academy Awards and slapping Chris Rock in the face while he was presenting.
The Independence Day star was enraged by a joke Rock made about his wife’s lack of hair, which she shaved off to cover up hair loss.
Despite sweeping the Oscars in controversy, Smith won Best Actor for his performance as the father of Venus and Serena Williams in King Richard.
Following the shocking slap, Variety reported that Apple intended to postpone the film until 2023 to allow the controversy to die down.
However, it will now be released in theaters on December 2, followed by a streaming release on Apple TV+ on December 9.
The streaming service may have abandoned its hopes of having a hit for awards season, as the film may miss out on potential profits due to the film’s limited theatrical run.
