Netflix has stalled a film that actor Will Smith was to star in, in the wake of the huge row surrounding him slapping comedian Chris Rock at the Oscars 2022 ceremony, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The film, titled Fast and Loose, was to be an action-thriller about a crime boss who suffers memory loss after an attack, according to the report. He discovers by putting together clues his double identity as an intelligence agent and a wealthy man.
A week before the Oscars fiasco, director David Leitch had left Fast and Loose for another film. Netflix searched for a new director before putting brakes on the project, according to Variety.
There could be more career setbacks for Will Smith, whose own Best Actor Oscar win for King Richard was overshadowed by the slap.
On Friday, he quit as a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He gets to keep his Oscar but is no longer eligible to vote for potential nominees. The Academy has begun disciplinary proceedings against him.
Read: Will Smith is no longer an Academy member. What happens now
Smith had slapped Chris Rock, one of the presenters at Oscars 2022, for cracking a joke about his wife Jade Pinkett Smith’s hair. Pinkett Smith suffers from alopecia, a condition that causes hair loss.
Shortly after attacking Rock, Smith tearfully accepted his Best Actor award and received a standing ovation. Smith said “love makes you do crazy things” and apologised only to the Academy.
Smith offered an apology to Rock a day later. "I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be," the actor said. " There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness. "
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
