Will Smith is back in action after this year’s infamous Oscar slap incident. The move led to the Academy banning him for a decade from attending these events. Smith is now gearing up for the release of his period drama ‘Emancipation‘, directed by Antoine Fuqua.
However, the film, particularly its producer Joey McFarland, is currently in the news for a not-so-good reason. He has been receiving a lot of heat on social media for carrying something at the film’s premiere. Let’s find out in detail about this whole issue.
Read More: Will Smith Shares His Nephew’s Reaction To The Oscar Slap. Here’s What He Said
Why Is ‘Emancipation’ Producer Receiving Backlash?
Smith will be making his first-ever film appearance with the period film ‘Emancipation‘ after the Oscar slap incident. However, the film, its producer to be more precise, has landed in trouble.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Joey McFarland, the Oscar-nominated producer of the film, walked the red carpet with the original photograph that inspired it. Joey was carrying the picture of the 1863 snap called The Scourged Back which was the basis of the film’s plot. It showcases the scarred and wounded back of a slave named Peter.
The producer said he has been collecting images of 19th-century African Americans for a while, calling it his “love of history.” “They’ve been so poorly curated, preserved and protected. And so for the last couple of decades I have been seeking out and acquiring as many forgotten and lost photos as possible,” he said.
People started calling him out for carrying a rare photograph at a film premiere. Franklin Leonard, the founder of The Black List, wrote: “Why do you own the photograph? Why did you bring it to a movie premiere if the intent is to preserve it respectfully? You wanted ‘a piece of Peter’ here?”
Read More: Antoine Fuqua Defends Will Smith For Oscar Slap
Will Smith Has A Message To Those Who Don’t Want To See His Film
Recently, the Oscar winner actor talked about how people are going to judge him not only for his performance this time. He said he understands “if someone is not ready, I would absolutely respect that and allow them their space to not be ready.”
He further added: “My deepest concern is my team – Antoine has done what I think is the greatest work of his entire career”.
