Apple has announced it will release its film “Emancipation,” which stars Will Smith as an escaped slave, and Variety reports that Smith’s performance could still earn him a second Oscar. As Variety notes, it’s normal for Oscar-nominee hopefuls to campaign for nominations in the months leading up to awards season, but because Smith has been banned from all Academy-sponsored events, his opportunities to make his case to the Academy voters will be limited. Smith could also be nominated for best picture, as he served as a producer on the film as well.
In its list of best actor nominee predictions for the upcoming 2023 Oscars, The Hollywood Reporter has named Brendan Fraser, Austen Butler, Colin Farrell, Tom Cruise, and Adam Sandler as frontrunners. Meanwhile, Smith is included in the “Still to See” column alongside Christian Bale, Diego Calva, Winston Duke, Tom Hanks, and Sam Worthington. We’re still very much in uncharted territory here, so only time will tell if Smith’s “Emancipation” performance is good enough to overcome the distaste of the Academy.
So far, it’s not looking great for the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. In a survey of Academy members, The Hollywood Reporter found they had mixed attitudes toward nominating Smith. “He did something terrible. He apologized. We have to allow people to grow and learn and atone,” said one. But another said, plainly and bluntly, “NO F***ING WAY!”
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Nicki
