• Will Smith has apologized for slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars.
• He hopes Emancipation, directed by Antoine Fuqua, will open people’s “hearts”.
• The actor recently spoke about fans missing his films when he slapped Chris Rock onstage at the 2022 Oscars

Will Smith knows his Oscars incident has divided opinion.

The actor recently spoke about fans missing his films when he slapped Chris Rock onstage at the 2022 Oscars over a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s bald head. Smith, who has apologised for the incident, said viewers may not watch his future productions, including Emancipation.

“I completely understand—if someone is not ready,” Smith told journalist Kevin McCarthy, per a magazine. “I would absolutely respect that and allow them their space to not be ready.”

Regardless of what people think of him, the Oscar winner hopes his actions won’t badly reflect on Emancipation, a drama about slavery directed by Antoine Fuqua.

“My deepest concern is my team—Antoine has done what I think is the greatest work of his entire career,” Smith added. “The people on this team have done some of the best work of their entire careers, and my deepest hope is that my actions don’t penalize my team. At this point, that’s what I’m working for.”

Smith, 54, expressed his hopes for what viewers would take away from the film Emancipation, which follows his character Peter, a fugitive slave trying to flee a plantation, as he continues to concentrate on its impending release.

“I’m hoping that the material—the power of the film, the timeliness of the story,” Smith said, “I’m hoping that the good that can be done would open people’s hearts at a minimum to see and recognize and support the incredible artists in and around this film.”

Emancipation hits theaters on Dec. 2 and will stream a week later on Apple TV+ on Dec. 9.

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