’s film Emancipation, which was expected to be ’s next big awards project following the Oscar success of , has now been delayed until 2023.
Directed by Training Day’s Antoine Fuqua, the movie was going to be released in time for the autumn film festival circuit later this year, and would have marked the actor’s first release since he .
Smith was for 10 years following the incident.
Apple hasn’t shared an official release date as yet, but a source close to the project said that ‘it’s the unspoken truth’ that the action drama will not launch on the platform in 2022.
The same source told there have also been ‘ongoing internal discussions between Apple executives and the filmmakers’ on how they could bring the release forward to this autumn, although it seems unlikely to happen.
The film, written by Bill Collage, follows a runaway slave who embarks on a torturous journey through the swamps of Louisiana to evade the plantation owners who nearly Ki**ed him. The action thriller also stars Steven Ogg, Ben Foster and Mustafa Shakir.
Emancipation had already garnered anticipation in the weeks leading up to this year’s Oscars, with one filmmaker adding to the publication: ‘Will’s going to win back-to-back.’
They were referencing his best actor win for biopic King Richard, in which he played Venus and Serena Williams’ father, Richard Williams.
Smith accepted the award after hitting Rock on stage when the comedian made a joke about Smith’s wife ’s hair.
The incident with Rock would have overshadowed the promotion of the film, while other sources have claimed the film is still in post-production and won’t be ready for a 2022 release.
The movie has also reportedly suffered a series of delays due to the production being moved from Georgia to Louisiana in protest of the state’s voting restrictions laws, the devastation caused by Hurricane Ida, and setbacks due to Covid cases in August 2021.
Metro.co.uk has reached out for comment from Apple Original Films.
Apple has a series of films expected for release soon, including , starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
Meanwhile, Apple’s heartwarming family drama CODA, which follows the only hearing member of a Deaf family as she navigates young adulthood and her passion for singing, won best picture at the Oscars back in March, with the company making history as the first streaming platform to win the top Academy Award.
