Will Smith's next film, "Emancipation," will be released in 2022, rather than this year's awards season. Apple made the announcement on Monday, along with the release of the first trailer for the Antoine Fuqua-directed historical drama.
"Emancipation" hits theatres on December 2 and will be available on Apple TV+ on December 9.
Though "Emancipation" was originally scheduled to be released in 2022, Apple decided to push it back to 2023 after Smith became embroiled in a controversy for slapping Chris Rock onstage at the Academy Awards.
The embattled actor has since publicly apologized for his actions, sharing an emotional video online in June, but has largely remained out of the public eye since the Oscars.
That initial delay has now been reversed in all but name. Apple was once regarded as a potentially formidable Oscar contender.
After becoming the first streaming service to win the best picture with "CODA," the company was gearing up to campaign for a slew of buzzy titles this fall.
Summer releases such as Sundance favorite "Cha Cha Real Smooth" and Skydance Animation's "Luck" have not maintained momentum, Peter Farrelly's "The Greatest Beer Run Ever" was a critical flop at the Toronto International Film Festival, and Martin Scorsese's mega-budget western "Killers of the Flower Moon" will not be ready until 2023.
With Apple's slate of prestige titles becoming increasingly limited, "Emancipation" is seen as the company's best chance to make an impact in the upcoming Oscar race. The film, written by Bill Collage and produced by Todd Black, Joey McFarland, and Jon Mone, stars Smith as a runaway known as "Whipper Peter."
