Smith may be banished from Bad Boys f ilms
WILL Smith’s upcoming blockbusters could be put on ice following his attack on Chris Rock at last weekend’s Oscars ceremony.
Work on the fourth installment of the Bad Boys film franchise has been halted by Sony following the scandal, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The film would have seen Smith reunited with co-star Martin Lawrence as a Miami drugs agent.
Netflix has reportedly slowed down production on its planned action-thriller movie Fast and Loose, which also stars the 53-year-old.
Film industry sources say studios want to assess how tarnished Smith has become after he stormed on stage to slap Rock for making a joke at the expense of his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, before sinking millions into projects.
The Men in Black and Ali actor is also due to appear in Apple TV’s $120million slavery-era drama Emancipation this autumn, but there has so far been no suggestion that will be delayed.
Smith, who took exception to Rock’s joke about his wife’s shaved head, a result of alopecia, announced his resignation from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences late on Friday, saying he had ‘betrayed’ its trust.
During a six-minute call on Zoom last Tuesday, he had apologised to Academy President David Rubin and its chief Dawn Hudson for his behaviour.
Actor ‘betrayed’ Academy’s trust