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Will Smith was well on his way to becoming the world’s biggest star, but it came tumbling down at the Oscars in 2022. Smith’s slap to Oscar host Chris Rock was heard around the world and instantly took away attention from his eventual win on the same night. The actor spoke about the need to be a protector and indirectly defended his action during his Oscars speech.

This was not the first time Smith has been connected to violence, though. The actor’s slap led to many speculations about his past and his history with violence. Smith has spoken about his troubled childhood with an abusive parent. He was also arrested in connection with the assault of William Hendricks, a record promoter.

Will Smith was arrested back in 1989 for allegedly assaulting a record promoter Will Smith in The Pursuit of Happyness | Credits: Sony Pictures

Since the ‘90s, Will Smith...

The last time Will Smith released a new album, he starred in Hitch, a romantic comedy with Eva Mendes and Kevin James. That was in 2005. In the past 20 years, Smith has gone on to win an Oscar and a Golden Globe for his performance in 2021’s King Richard. Now, for the first time in 20 years, Smith, who is also a four-time Grammy Award winner, is releasing a new album.

Per Deadline, Smith, who has released four solo albums and five with DJ Jazzy Jeff, will be releasing a new solo effort on March 28 titled Based on a True Story.The new album will feature five previously-released singles as well as nine other tracks. Based on a True Story is Smith’s first new album since 2005’s Lost and Found, which reached the Top 10 when it was released.

Smith: “It’s Official”

Smith took to Instagram to announce the new project.

Amazon MGM is developing a biopic about golf legend Tiger Woods, with “King Richard” director Reinaldo Marcus Green and Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Productions in talks to direct and produce, respectively.

Winkler films is on board to produce the film, which will be adapted from “The Tiger Slam,” a new book released this past November by former Golf Magazine editor-in-chief Kevin Cook.

The book takes its name from Woods’ most famous achievement: winning four consecutive major tournaments starting with the 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach and continuing with the Open Championship and PGA Championship later that year before winning the Masters in the spring of 2001.

In doing so, Woods became the only golfer of the modern era to hold all four major titles at the same time and cemented his status as the biggest star of his sport. Throughout the 2000s, Woods went on to increase...

Amazon MGM Studios is in development on a biopic about Tiger Woods, with Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground banner in talks to produce.

The studio picked up the film rights to Kevin Cook’s book, The Tiger Slam, and King Richard director Reinaldo Marcus Green is in talks to helm the film adaptation, with Winkler Films also producing.

Cook, a former Sports Illustrated senior editor and editor in chief of Golf Magazine, in The Tiger Slam offers an inside look at the early streak of victories that left Woods far ahead of his rivals on the pro golf tour. The book includes accounts from Wood’s caddie, his coach, opponents and supporters.

After reaching the pinnacle of his sport, however, Woods faced a deep fall from grace caused by a maelstrom of grief over the death of his father, Earl Woods, sex addiction and the physical toll from...

A biopic on one of the greatest golfers to ever play the game and one of the most influential athletes for the sport, Tiger Woods, has been set up at Amazon MGM Studios, with Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Productions in talks to produce, an individual with knowledge of the project told IndieWire.

Amazon MGM optioned the rights to the book “The Tiger Slam: The Inside Story of the Greatest Golf Ever Played” by author Kevin Cook. The book was published in November 2024 and gives the behind-the-scenes story of how Woods in 2000, already having dominated the Masters earlier in his career, managed to win four major golf titles in a row that left all of his other rivals on the course in the dust.

Reinaldo Marcus Green, who directed the biopic “King Richard” about Venus and Serena Williams’ father that won Will Smith an Oscar, is in talks to direct the film.

Star golfer’s life will become an Amazon MGM movie with King Richard director Reinaldo Marcus Green at the helm

Tiger Woods is headed to the big screen with Amazon MGM Studios acquiring film rights to Kevin Cook’s book The Tiger Slam: The Inside Story of the Greatest Golf Ever Played.

According to Deadline, Reinaldo Marcus Green, who turned the rise of Venus and Serena Williams into the Oscar-nominated 2021 film King Richard, will direct this tale of Woods’ rise from child prodigy to one of the most famous and accomplished golfers of all time. Will Smith nabbed the best actor Oscar for his role in King Richard.

Amazon MGM is developing a movie about Tiger Woods, with Barack and Michelle Obama’s company Higher Ground in talks to produce.

Based on Kevin Cook’s book “The Tiger Slam: The Inside Story of the Greatest Golf Ever Played,” the biographical drama will chart the rise of the child prodigy turned golf star. “King Richard” filmmaker Reinaldo Marcus Green is attached to direct.

Taking inspiration from the book’s moniker, the film is expected to focus on Woods’ triumph of winning four consecutive major championships, known as the “Tiger Slam.” After turning pro at age 20 in 1996, Woods became one of the most recognizable golfers of all time. He has 15 major championship wins to his name, including 82 PGA Tour victories.

His life off the green, though rife with drama, reportedly won’t be depicted in the film. In 2009, Woods fell from grace after numerous extramarital affairs came to light. As part of the fallout,...

Jon Bernthal has played the Marvel Comics character Frank Castle, a.k.a. The Punisher, in season 2 of the Netflix Daredevil series and two seasons of his own The Punisher series, and he’s reprising the role in the Disney+ series Daredevil: Born Again. Marvel Television boss Brad Winderbaum recently let it slip that Bernthal is also set to star in a The Punisher Special Presentation for Disney+ – and now, Bernthal has promised that the special is going to be dark and will tell the story the fans deserve to see.

Winderbaum told Entertainment Weekly that Bernthal is writing The Punisher Special Presentation with Reinaldo Marcus Green, who directed Bernthal in the 2022 mini-series We Own This City. Green, whose other credits include Bob Marley: One Love, King Richard, Joe Bell, and Monsters and Men, will also be directing the special. This will mark Bernthal’s first official writing credit.

Winderbaum previously said,...

Will Smith started his acting career in the 1990s, gaining prominence for his performance in the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. He quickly transitioned to becoming a commercial star, appearing in hit franchises like Men in Black and Bad Boys while also garnering critical acclaim.

Will Smith on All the Smoke podcast (Credit: YouTube).

After almost three decades in Hollywood, Smith has delivered some of the biggest box office hits. At the same time, he has also become a highly sought-after star, earning the actor massive paychecks. Here are the top five movies that earned the mega star some of the biggest salaries in his over thirty-year long career.

5. Bright (2017) Will Smith in a promotion still from Bright (Credit: Netflix).

Bright is an urban fantasy action film directed by Max Landis and starring Will Smith as Daryl Ward, a human LAPD officer. Despite mixed reviews, the film became one...

Was Will Smith and Eva Mendes’ on-screen Kiss in Hitch almost a disaster?(Photo Credit – YouTube)

During an interview on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Mendes spilled the hilarious backstory of their kissing scene. Nervous before filming, she calmed herself with a tuna fish sandwich, extra onions, and a side of Doritos—bad move. Smith, known for his charm and professionalism, was reportedly not fond of the scent. Mendes admitted, “I never asked you how it was?” to which Smith, ever the gentleman, replied, “It was wonderful.”

The moment became one of the film’s funniest behind-the-scenes stories. Mendes, realizing her mistake, popped some Altoids before the scene resumed. The minty fix worked, and their kiss went down in rom-com history. But for a moment, Hitch almost had an unintentional blooper reel addition.

Released in 2005, Hitch starred Smith as Alex ‘Hitch’ Hitchens, a dating consultant who had all the answers, except...

Did Jada Pinkett Smith try to kill herself? (Photo Credit – Instagram)

In her memoir, Worthy, Jada Pinkett Smith detailed how she had planned to drive off a cliff, ensuring it looked like an accident so her children would not be traumatized.

Suicide felt like the only way out. Therapy, meditation, even backpacking didn’t help. She tried golf, taking lessons from Tiger Woods, but nothing could silence the pain. Then, a friend suggested ayahuasca, a psychoactive plant drink believed to have healing properties.

She accepted it from a medicine woman, and the first thing she confronted was her own suicidal thoughts. By the fourth day, she “never felt suicidal again.” It changed her life, helping her reconnect with love and become the mother she wanted to be.

Trending Oscars 2025: Host Conan O’Brien Trolled Online For His Hindi Greeting For The Indian Fans, Netizens Say, “My Ears Are Bleeding…” Oscars...

Chris Rock getting smacked and screamed at by Will Smith at the Academy Awards ceremony in 2022 will forever go down as one of the most infamous moments in the history of the Oscars. Three years after the event, Rock has commented on possibly returning to the Oscars to serve as host, and he hasn't written off the idea.

“You never know,” Rock told E! News. “This is what I would say, the most miserable people on earth are people that can’t forgive. And not just people, you have to forgive yourself sometimes. So, hey, you never know.”

I live in forgiveness.

When asked if he's completely moved on from the incident three years later, Rock added, “I live in forgiveness. True love starts at forgiveness.”

Related18 Years After First Film, I Am Legend 2 Gets Exciting Update From Will Smith

Will Smith himself shares a big update on the...

The night has set for Hollywood’s biggest event. Several Hollywood actors, directors, and artists have walked the red carpet to celebrate the best in the film industry. However, one notable figure is definitely absent from this year’s event: Will Smith, the actor whose infamous moment at the 2022 Oscars made history for all the wrong reasons.

Will Smith as Agent J in Men in Black 3 | Credit: Sony Pictures Releasing

Smith’s ban from attending any Academy event was announced shortly after the shocking incident during the live ceremony where he slapped comedian Chris Rock. Like him, the Academy has also banned many other artists like Bill Cosby and Hervey Weinstein for the misconduct of the organization’s ethical expectations. However, what is up with the actor after the infamous incident? Will he ever join the Academy again? Let’s dig into this matter

Will Smith is banned from...

Fans of the Netflix-era Marvel shows -- known as the Defenders Saga after they joined the rest of Marvel Studios' fare -- are no doubt waiting for "Daredevil: Born Again," not least because the show will see the return of Jon Bernthal's Punisher. Bernthal delivered what may very well be the definitive version of Marvel Comics' famed violent vigilante in "Daredevil" season 2 (2015), and returned for two seasons of a solo show called "The Punisher" (2017-2019). 

Fortunately, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is not only reviving the character, but we already know what Bernthal's MCU Punisher will do after "Daredevil: Born Again." His next project will be a Disney+ special directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, in the one-off vein of the fun 2022 monster movie homage "Werewolf By Night." Here's how Marvel Television chief Brad Winderbaum described this upcoming standalone: 

"It's like a shotgun blast of a story, but also has...

Jon Bernthal has played the Marvel Comics character Frank Castle, a.k.a. The Punisher, in season 2 of the Netflix Daredevil series and two seasons of his own The Punisher series, and he’s reprising the role in the Disney+ series Daredevil: Born Again, which is set to premiere on March 4th. Marvel Television boss Brad Winderbaum recently let it slip that Bernthal is also set to star in a The Punisher Special Presentation for Disney+ – and now, Winderbaum has revealed that Bernthal is also writing the special, crafting what’s described as “a shotgun blast of a story.”

Winderbaum told Entertainment Weekly that Bernthal is writing The Punisher Special Presentation with Reinaldo Marcus Green, who directed Bernthal in the 2022 mini-series We Own This City. Green, whose other credits include Bob Marley: One Love, King Richard, Joe Bell, and Monsters and Men, will also be directing the special. This will...

The Punisher will headline a Marvel special for Disney+ in the vein of Werewolf by Night or The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, EW reports.

Jon Bernthal — who debuted as gun-toting vigilante Frank Castle in the second season of Netflix’s “Daredevil” before starring in “The Punisher” spin-off series from 2017 to 2019 — will first reprise the role in “Daredevil: Born Again.”

The concept for the special came while filming the upcoming series. Reinaldo Marcus Green will direct from a script he co-wrote with Bernthal.

“It’s like a shotgun blast of a story, but also has all the pathos and emotion that you want out of a Frank Castle story,” Brad Winderbaum, the head of Marvel Television, tells EW.

“Bernthal is a generational actor. He’s incredible what he brings to all the roles he plays, but particularly Frank Castle. And he’s a great writer. He knows the character inside and out,...

Exclusive: Academy, Emmy and Golden Globe Award nominee Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor has joined the cast of Lucky, a new limited drama from Apple TV+ starring and executive produced by Anya Taylor-Joy. Creator Jonathan Tropper also executive produces alongside Reese Witherspoon.

Based on Marissa Stapley’s bestselling novel and Reese’s Book Club pick of the same name, Lucky stars Taylor-Joy as the eponymous heroine. She is a young woman who left behind the life of crime she was raised in years ago but must now embrace her darker, criminal side one final time in a desperate attempt to escape her past.

Ellis-Taylor will play as ‘Agent Billie Rand.’

Lucky is produced by Hello Sunshine and Tropper Ink, and is created by Tropper under his overall deal with Apple TV+. He serves as co-showrunner alongside Cassie Pappas. Witherspoon EPs alongside Lauren Neustadter for Hello Sunshine, a part of Candle Media.

Apple Original Films is in talks to buy an untitled high-concept UFO package that has “Top Gun: Maverick” filmmaker Joseph Kosinski directing and Jerry Bruckheimer producing, according to an insider with knowledge.

The script written by Zach Baylin is described as “a UFO disclosure-themed take on ‘All the President’s Men,’ the classic 1976 political thriller from Alan J. Pakula,” according to Deadline, which first reported the news. Baylin previously wrote the screenplay to the Oscar-winning drama “King Richard.”

Kosinski and Bruckheimer produced Brad Pitt-starrer “F1” at the streamer, which opens in theaters this June. Apple was able to land the package after it hit town last week after the streamer’s strong working relationship with both Kosinski and Bruckheimer producing on the Formula 1 film.

What is of note is that David Grusch, a former U.S. Air Force intelligence officer and Pentagon whistleblower who gained notoriety and made national headlines...

Update: Deadline reports that Apple Original Films looks likely to come out the winner in the bidding war over the Jerry Bruckheimer / Joseph Kosinski UFO disclosure project. Their sources say, “a big reason Apple ended up winning the bid was the strong relationship that grew out of the studio’s F1 movie that Kosinski directed and Bruckheimer produced. Insiders are very high on the film and were eager to work together again after the film finished production.“

The original article follows:

After directing the legacy sequel Top Gun: Maverick for legendary producer Jerry Bruckheimer, Joseph Kosinski went right back to work with Bruckheimer to make the Formula One racing film F1, which is scheduled to reach theatres on June 27th. Now, Deadline reports that Bruckheimer and Kosinki might continue their working relationship after sending F1 into the world by collaborating on a UFO disclosure-themed film that’s being compared to...

Exclusive: The package market has been booming over the past couple weeks and here is another one that looks to have found its new home. Sources tell Deadline that Apple Original Films is in talks to land the untitled UFO package that has Joseph Kosinski directing and Jerry Bruckheimer producing. Zach Baylin penned the script, which is akin to a UFO disclosure-themed take on All the President’s Men, the classic 1976 political thriller from Alan J. Pakula.

The package hit the market last week with several bids coming in and sources say a big reason Apple ended up winning the bid was the strong relationship that grew out of the studio’s F1 movie that Kosinski directed and Bruckheimer produced. Insiders are very high on that film, which will bow in June, and were eager to work again after the film finished production.

David Grusch, a former U.S. Air Force intelligence...

Will Smith might have been the target of public scrutiny and backlash in the past few years due to his rash actions during the Academy Awards, but he’s no stranger to blockbuster success. Fresh off his Oscar for King Richard, the actor is diving back in, and this time around, he’ll be collaborating with Zendaya and Michael B. Jordan.

Will Smith in Hancock | Columbia Pictures

Smith is about to revive two of his most beloved movies, by giving us their sequels, i.e., Hancock 2 and I Am Legend 2. But what exactly do these projects entail and how far along are they? Let’s look at the details.

Will Smith teases Zendaya’s potential role in Hancock 2 Will Smith | xQc / YouTube

Will Smith recently appeared on xQc’s Twitch stream and dropped some interesting details about his upcoming projects. One of them is the sequel to the 2008 superhero film Hancock,...

17 years after he starred in “Hancock,” Will Smith is teasing details about a possible follow-up to the superhero film.

When the Oscar-winning actor made an appearance on xQc’s Twitch live stream, he provided some more information about the project.

“There’s a really cool, really cool ‘Hancock 2’ idea,” Hancock said during the stream. “We haven’t even talked about it so I’m gonna give you one little piece — Zendaya is being approached for a role in ‘Hancock 2.”

“Hancock” was released in 2008 and featured Smith as an amnesiac, alcoholic superhero who has to contend with the damage he leaves behind when saving lives in Los Angeles. After he saves a couple’s life (Jason Bateman and Charlize Theron), they work with him to help improve his public image and remember his past.

The Sony film was directed by Peter Berg, who went on to direct “Deepwater Horizon...

Top Gun: Maverick and F1 director Joseph Kosinski and mega producer Jerry Bruckheimer are shopping a UFO conspiracy thriller, and studios are now in a bidding war. Per The Hollywood Reporter, the film is being pitched as similar to the classic movie All the President's Men, but with UFOs.

Meanwhile, the writer of the project is Zach Baylin, but no stars are attached. Interestingly, David Grusch is a consultant; he's the former Air Force Officer who testified before Congress in 2023 that the government studied UFOs and aliens and actively kept everything hidden from the public and media.

Whichever studio signs on will have to give the film a greenlight, meaning Kosinski and Bruckheimer don't want to spend years developing the film. Warner Bros., Paramount, Lionsgate, Amazon, Apple, and several others are bidding, so expect a deal to be struck soon. The pairing of Kosinski and Bruckheimer equals box office gold,...

Filmmaker Joseph Kosinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer are making another movie together. The duo is reteaming for an upcoming sci-fi movie described as a UFO disclosure-themed take on the 1976 political thriller All the President's Men.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Kosinski will direct from a script by Zach Baylin — the Oscar-nominated screenwriter behind Creed III, The Order, and King Richard — with Bruckheimer producing. After their last collaboration, Paramount's legacy sequel Top Gun: Maverick, made over $1.4 billion at the box office, almost every studio wants in on Kosinski and Bruckheimer's next movie. This includes Amazon, Skydance, Lionsgate, Sony, 20th Century, Universal, Paramount, Apple, and Warner Bros., the latter two of which are set to distribute the duo's next movie, the forthcoming Formula 1 sports action film F1 this summer. Sources report that the bidding is escalating "quickly and aggressively."

RelatedMiles Teller Offers Top Gun 3 Update, Reveals How Many Months He Told...

Following his success surrounding Tom Cruise’s Top Gun: Maverick, and the buzz surrounding Brad Pitt’s upcoming F1, Joseph Kosinski appears to be working on another anticipated project that will reunite him with Jerry Bruckheimer. Although little is known about the film, it has been described as All the President’s Men with UFOs.

Director Joseph Kosinski in an interview with TWiT Tech Podcast Network | image: YouTube

Currently, uncountable production companies are vying for Joseph Kosinski’s promising film which also includes King Richard screenwriter Zach Baylin. While major details are kept under tight wraps, there have been rumors about certain tantalizing elements from the film—UFO whistleblower David Grusch is said to be acting as a consultant on the project.

Joseph Kosinski and David Grusch’s collaboration might reveal dark secrets about UFOs

After recently working on Brad Pitt‘s F1 movie, Joseph Kosinski, the visionary director behind Top Gun: Maverick,...

Director Joseph Kosinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer are finishing off F1 – and then moving onto a UFO movie.

If you can take a long-dormant action flick from almost four decades ago, remix some of the ingredients and produce a film that grosses nearly $1.5bn then you’re going to find yourself in demand. That’s precisely the spot that director Joseph Kosinski and Jerry Bruckheimer find themselves in right now.

Although Kosinski wasn’t quite able to fully reinvigorate the Tron franchise back in 2010 with Tron: Legacy the director teamed with Jerry Bruckheimer (who we spoke to last year) to put everything together in 2022 with Top Gun: Maverick. It involved reconfiguring the 1986 film’s best bits, adding in some incredible practical action sequences and getting the best out of Tom Cruise’s movie star persona. The result was the biggest hit of Tom Cruise’s career.

Next up, Kosinski and...

A movie project reuniting Jerry Bruckheimer and Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski is spurring interest that is out of this world.

A solar system’s worth of companies are vying for the package, that also includes scribe Zach Baylin, the writer whose credits include Will Smith’s King Richard, Creed III, and last year’s Jude Law white supremacist thriller The Order.

Amazon, Apple, Lionsgate, Paramount and Warner Bros. are among the studios in on the action, with sources saying the bidding is escalating “quickly and aggressively.”

Little is known about the piece, which is described as All the President’s Men with UFOs. The budget range is unclear but it is seeking a greenlight, per one source. No stars are currently attached.

Part of the appeal is the veneer of authenticity to the pitch. Former United States Air Force officer – and erstwhile UFO whistleblower – David Grusch is said...

Will Smith’s 2005 blockbuster movie Hitch‘s sequel is reportedly in development. If the stars align, this could be his chance to correct a mistake from the original movie.

Will Smith in Hitch | Credits: Sony Pictures Releasing

Although Smith is admittedly more of an action and sci-fi hero, his rom-com avatar came as a fresh surprise to fans. Eva Mendes’ hard-edged cynic against him presented the perfect contrast. So it was no surprise that the movie became such a big hit across the world.

However, things might have been completely different if the makers had gone for the original plan with Cameron Diaz. Regardless, now that Will Smith himself is the one making the sequel, he has the perfect opportunity to rectify that mistake.

Will Smith claimed Cameron Diaz was supposed to be cast against him in Hitch

Hitch admittedly remains to this day one of the most beloved movies of Will Smith’s career.

Will Smith & Jada Pinkett Smith Marriage ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Will Smith’s career and personal life have taken a significant hit following the infamous Oscars slap that sent shockwaves through Hollywood in 2022.

The fallout from the incident has reportedly cost him a staggering $1 billion in lost opportunities and his once-promising projects, like the high-budget film ‘Emancipation,’ failed to make a splash, despite Smith reportedly earning $35 million for the role.

When Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the oscars.pic.twitter.com/N4xx5JHTbo

—...

Will Smith is a bonafide movie star, and you don't get to become a movie star if you're not multi-faceted. Smith's career is one that clearly demonstrates his versatility and then some; he's got a physicality and swagger that lends itself easily to an action film lead, as seen in the "Bad Boys" franchise as well as movies like "Suicide Squad" and "Bright." He has the emotional depth and soulfulness to take on a variety of dramatic roles, as in "King Richard," "The Pursuit of Happyness," "Ali," and "Six Degrees of Separation." He also has a natural comic timing — honed during his years starring on the wildly successful sitcom "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" — which crops up in many of his performances, but has also led to winning leading roles in the rom-com "Hitch" and Disney live-action remake "Aladdin."

Despite his considerable range and his continued appeal, Smith has one...

If the Oscars were a high school prom, think of the Academy as the strict principal—one bad move and you’re out. But instead of a tardy slip, it’s a lifetime ban, and instead of a bad dress, it’s a slap across the face or a scandalous crime. While the Oscars may glitter with glamour and red carpet shine, underneath the sequins, there’s a no-nonsense code of conduct that even Hollywood’s brightest stars must follow.

The Oscars roll around every year, but there’s a dark cloud hanging over the event—the infamous ‘No Entry’ list of celebs who’ve crossed the line and earned themselves a one-way ticket out of the Academy.

Will Smith in Bad Boys For Life | Credits: Sony Pictures Releasing

From a slap that nearly knocked the sparkle off the stage to scandals that shook Hollywood’s very foundation, these stars...

Award-winning actor and rapper, Will Smith, continues to bounce back in Hollywood following his infamous slapping incident at the 94th Academy Awards. Smith is set to make his first presentation at a major event since the slap as he will appear at the Grammy Awards this weekend.

As confirmed by TMZ, Smith will take the stage at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles to present at the 67th Grammy Awards. Smith is one of several celebrities tapped to present at the star-studded annual event, with Taylor Swift and Queen Latifah among the names who will introduce awards or segments that night.

RelatedWill Smith Transforms Into The Matrix's Neo in New Music Video

Will Smith further stokes the speculation about his links to The Matrix franchise with his latest music video alongside a fellow rapper.

Smith infamously rocked fellow actor Chris Rock with a hard slap in the face...

Will Smith just recently won his first Oscar — and a controversial one at that — for his work in King Richard, the tennis biopic that also stars Jon Bernthal and details the life of Venus and Serena Williams and their father Richard. Smith has had a number of other iconic roles over the years, but perhaps none more legendary than Captain Steven Hiller in Independence Day, the 1996 alien invasion/sci-fi classic that's currently streaming for free on Tubi. The film has wasted no time climbing the free streamer's charts, where it currently sits at #3 at the time of writing. Independence Day earned scores of 68% from critics and 75% from general audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, and it even won an Oscar for Best Visual Effects at the 1997 Academy Awards.

Will Smith's Westbrook Studios has made a deal with Noah Centineo to produce and star in a new thriller movie. The announcement comes right after the launch of the second season of Centineo's Netflix series, The Recruit.

Deadline broke the news that Centineo would produce and star in Listen, a thriller that is set to be directed and written by Brian Birch in his feature debut. The film will be made in collaboration with Westbrook Inc. studios, founded by actor Will Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith, Centineo's own Arkhum Productions and Bound Entertainment.Listen will be a "contained thriller that combines suspense and horror through a uniquely sound-driven mystery."

RelatedBen Affleck and Matt Damon Reunite in First Look at Netflix's Crime Thriller Rip

The longtime friends and collaborators Ben Affleck and Matt Damon have teamed up with Netflix for their new project.

Smith will produce the film alongside Jon Mone,...

Ahead of its airing on Sunday, the full presenters lineup for this year’s Grammy Awards has been revealed — and it’s a star-studded slate.

The 67th edition of the annual music awards show will feature presenter appearances from Cardi B, Olivia Rodrigo, Gloria Estefan, Queen Latifah, Sza, Victoria Monét and Taylor Swift. Will Smith is also set to make his return to the Grammys as a presenter.

On Thursday, the Oscar winner dropped his new single “Beautiful Scars” and announced a forthcoming album, “Based on a True Story,” which is set to debut in March. The album is Smith’s first music project in more than 20 years. After coming onto the scene with “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” Smith released a number of hits in the ’90s, including “Summertime,” “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It” and “Miami.” Smith took a break from music to focus on his acting career, which culminated...

The 2025 Sundance Film Festival — and perhaps its second-to-last in Park City — has wound down with the annual awards ceremony.

On January 31, jurors presented prizes in the competitive sections, including the U.S. Dramatic Competition, U.S. Documentary Competition, World Cinema Dramatic Competition, World Cinema Documentary Competition, and the Next lineup. Jurors across the sections looked at nearly 90 films representing more than 30 countries and territories.

Hailey Gates’ Iraq war satire, starring Alia Shawkat and produced by (among others) Luca Guadagnino, won the festival’s top award: the Grand Jury Prize in the U.S. Dramatic competition. The politically charged comedy, which follows an aspiring actress in a military role-playing facility, is still looking for U.S. distribution amid mixed reviews out of Sundance. Meanwhile in that section, Eva Victor’s staggering feature debut “Sorry, Baby,” a startlingly wise and unsentimental depiction of trauma set in American academia, won a Screenwriting prize...

DreamWorks Animation has once again unlocked a treasure trove of success with its latest animated offering, The Wild Robot. Directed by the visionary Chris Sanders and based on Peter Brown’s beloved 2016 novel of the same name, the movie already made a significant splash at the box office. Following that success, The Wild Robot debuted at #1 on Peacock’s streaming chart, solidifying its status as DreamWorks’ second highest-rated movie of all time with an impressive 98% score on Rotten Tomatoes. This near-perfect score puts The Wild Robot just behind the studio’s How to Train Your Dragon, which boasts a 99% Rotten Tomatoes score.

The Wild Robot tells the story of Roz, a service robot who finds herself stranded on a remote island. As she explores the wild world, she comes across the island’s diverse wildlife, who are, naturally, suspicious of her. When Roz accidentally destroys a goose's nest, she becomes...

Quick Links But Let's Be Honest: Did Villeneuve Deserve the Best Director Nomination? Villeneuve Joins a List of Unbelievable Oscar Snubs

It has happened. What I, star Josh Brolin, and millions of other sci-fi fans thought to be a joke has become true: The Academy has decided that Denis Villeneuve does not even deserve to get a nomination for his directorial effort in the 2024 science fiction epic Dune: Part Two. The Academy Award nominations were recently announced, and as expected, there were a few surprises. No Best Original Score for Challengers, Sebastian Stan was nominated for The Apprentice and not for A Different Man, and Marianne Jean-Baptiste was left out for Hard Truths. But the one that hurt the most is Denis Villeneuve's name being absent among the Best Director nominees.

During the weeks leading up to the nominations, I began thinking that my worst fear would come true. The...

Big casting news has just been revealed for The Odyssey, the next feature film from acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Nolan. The film, which features Tom Holland in a starring role, has just added another fan favorite Marvel actor to the cast.

Per Deadline, The Punisher star Jon Bernthal has been cast in The Odyssey. He is one of several big stars now known to be a part of the project, which also includes fellow MCU alums Lupita Nyong'o (Black Panther), Zendaya (Spider-Man: No Way Home), and Charlize Theron (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness). Matt Damon (Jason Bourne), Anne Hathaway (The Dark Knight Rises), and Robert Pattinson (The Batman) are also starring.

Related Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 Gets Exciting Filming Update From Charlie Cox

Daredevil: Born Again star Charlie Cox reveals when production will get underway on Season 2 of the hotly-anticipated Disney+ revival.

Production on The Odyssey will reportedly start in February.

Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” was a poster child for the power of inclusion when it broke box office records in 2023, but the $1.45 billion-grossing movie is only the 119th most inclusive film made in the past five years, according to the Inclusion List.

The annual list — presented by Dr. Stacy L. Smith and the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, in collaboration with the Adobe Foundation — is a data-driven ranking that identified the 150 most inclusive films from 2019 to 2023 and ranks a single year’s films across gender, race/ethnicity, LGBTQ+, disability and age representation.

“Our goal with the Inclusion List is to celebrate those who are showcasing and working with exceptional talent from all backgrounds,” stated Dr. Smith in a press release announcing the researchers’ findings. “In the second year of its release, the newest iteration of the Inclusion List spotlights films, filmmakers, and distributors who clearly demonstrate that inclusion...

The second iteration of The Inclusion List from Dr. Stacy L. Smith and the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative has identified the 150 most inclusive films from 2019 to 2023, adding to its initial class of 100 films by naming 50 new titles for the year 2023.

Four films from that year have made it into the Top 10 Most Inclusive Films for that timespan, according to the study released Wednesday, with A Thousand and One taking the No. 2 spot overall, Bottoms coming in seventh, The Color Purple ninth and The Blackening in 10th.

The list’s point system took into account talent both in front of and behind the camera, with a total of 20 points broken down into 10-point halves for both on-screen and off-screen inclusion. Two distinct processes were used, one for leads/co-leads and the other for all speaking characters. A film could earn up to 10 points for on-screen inclusion based on the five inclusion indicators across leads/co leads (up to 5 points) and all speaking characters (up to 5 points).

A Thousand and One ranks second with a score of 13.6/20, while Bottoms scores a 12.2/20. The Color Purple and The Blackening are tied with a score of 11.8/20. The highest scoring film on the list remains Gina Prince-Bythewood’s The Woman King (2022) with a 15/20.

The list also evaluated 2023 films displaying the best inclusivity across five categories: gender, race/ethnicity, LGBTQ+, disability, and age. It named five of the most inclusive 2023 films within each of those categories.

The 2023 films that scored the highest for the gender indicator of inclusion were A Thousand and One, You Hurt My Feelings, The Marvels, Priscilla and Barbie. A Thousand and One also scored high on the race/ethnicity list alongside 2023’s Joy Ride, The Color Purple, The Blackening and House Party. In the LGBTQ+ category, the top five films of 2023 were All of Us Strangers, Theater Camp, Bottoms, Knock at the Cabin and Saltburn. 2023 releases ranking high in the disability category included What Happens Later, John Wick: Chapter 4, Moving On, Golda and The Holdovers. Films from 2023 that scored highest in their representation of age on the big screen were Moving On, Book Club: The Next Chapter, Marlowe, The Miracle Club and Golda.

Researchers also took into consideration the race and ethnicity of crew members in the roles of director, writer, producer, cinematographer, editor, composer, production designer, costume designer, casting director and assistant director.

The second Inclusion List also names 25 top achievers across inclusion metrics and 50 new winners for 2023 cinema. Released Jan. 22, the results calls attention to directors, editors and distributors involved in projects with the highest percentage of women and people of color employees who aided in the process of production from start to finish line.

Related: Women-Led Films Fell Close To 30% In 2023, Near A 10-Year Low, Per Study

Out of 400 evaluated directors, five were named the most inclusive: Catherine Hardwicke, Olivia Wilde, Destin Daniel Cretton, Reinaldo Marcus Green and Kasi Lemmons.

Eight editors were noted for their work in film over the past five years, including Annette Davey, Anne McCabe, Blair McClendon, Catrin Hedström, Hilda Rasula, Harry Yoon, Mary Jo Markey.

Related: Hispanics & Latinos Still Invisible In Hollywood, A Trend Across 16 Years, New Study Reveals

The top distributors — companies responsible for bringing top-ranking diverse films to audiences — were listed by the quantity of how many films released: Universal (29), Sony Pictures (21), Warner Bros (18) and, for smaller distributors, A24 (14), MGM (10) and Bleecker Street (9).

A panel discussing the results featuring Smith, Sumi Parekh, Executive Director, Group Effort Initiative, Tracy Oliver, Screenwriter, Director, Producer and Showrunner, Jesse Williams, Actor, Director, Activist, Dewayne Perkins, Writer, Actor, Producer, and Amy White, Global Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, Adobe, is set for Friday at Adobe House on the ground at the Sundance Film Festival.

Will Smith is one of the biggest actors in Hollywood today and has become synonymous with Hollywood stardom. A name that represents charm, talent, and charisma, his decades-long career has given fans some of the best moments in cinema history. However, beneath the glitz and glamour lies a history of controversies.

Will Smith in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | Credit: via NBC

Long before the actor got embroiled in one of the biggest controversies of his life, aka the slapgate with Chris Rock, a long-standing feud with a co-star ended up marring his public reputation.

Will Smith and one of his most long-standing controversial feuds Will Smith and Janet Hubert reconciled in Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reunion | Credit: HBO

Will Smith‘s rise to stardom began with his beloved sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Capturing him into the limelight, the actor’s portrayal elevated him in the ranks of Hollywood.

Mark your calendars, Oscars fans, because the 97th Academy Awards will air on Sunday, March 2, 2025 on ABC. The annual star-studded ceremony will honor movies released in theaters within the 2024 calendar year of eligibility. AMPAS members will vote on the Oscar winners in 23 categories, including Best Actor. But who will win? Here at Gold Derby, thousands of users have been making and updating their 2025 Oscar predictions for Best Actor, so let’s take a look at all of the top contenders in our photo gallery below.

These 25 Best Actor hopefuls are listed in order of their racetrack odds, which are derived from the combined forecasts of four unique groups: experts we’ve polled from major media outlets, editors who cover awards year-round for this website, top 24 users who had the best accuracy scores last year, and the mass of users who make up our biggest predictions bloc.

The five most recent...

It’s been 20 years since Will Smith played the “date doctor” Alex “Hitch” Hitchens in 2005’s romantic comedy, Hitch. In the movie, "Hitch" is hired by Kevin James’ Albert Brennaman to help win over the woman of his affection. On Feb. 1, just in time for Valentine’s Day, Hitch will drop on Peacock.

Although known as a big-budget action movie star, Will Smith’s turn in the romantic comedy was a breath of fresh air for the actor who has since gone on to win an Academy Award for his role in 2021’s King Richard. Cbr named Hitch one of the best Will Smith movies.

The movie, which had a budget of $70 million, went on to gross over $371 million worldwide. It also stars Eva Mendes (The Other Guys), Amber Valletta, Julie Ann Emery (Star Wars: Skeleton Crew), and Michael Rapaport. Hitch was directed by Andy Tennant (Sweet Home Alabama) and...

The 2025 Sundance Film Festival is almost here, and in the lead-up to the annual event, we now know who will be responsible for picking the various jury prizes at the festival. The 2025 Sundance jury members spans 16 filmmakers, with the vaunted U.S. Dramatic Competition jury being especially star-studded. “King Richard” director Reinaldo Marcus Green and “Succession” alum Arian Moayed serve on that jury with “Past Lives” director Celine Song; her feature debut premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival before receiving Oscar nominations for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay.

The 2025 festival will begin Thursday, January 23, with premieres in Park City every day through the end of Tuesday, January 28. Additional showings will take place in Park City and Salt Lake City throughout the Festival until Sunday, February 2. The jury members will select the winners to be announced during the Awards Ceremony, held at The Ray Theatre on Friday, January 31.

“We are...

With the new year having just rolled around, the biggest Hollywood event of the year, the Oscars, are just around the corner, with the official list of nominees to be announced soon. However, with the Golden Globes having wrapped up, and the nominations for the SAG awards having been announced, there are more than enough clues to at least get a solid idea of how the nominations and awards for the most prestigious event in Hollywood are going to go.

One of the frontrunners for the Academy Award for Best Actor is Adrien Brody for his starring role in The Brutalist, which itself is in contention for Best Picture. Brody has been nominated for the SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor and also won the 2025 Golden Globe for Best Drama Performance by a Male Actor. If Brody's hot streak continues into the Academy Awards, and he does end up winning,...

Talk about a surprise. When Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (who has been acting professionally since her debut as Ariel in 1995’s Broadway revival of “The Tempest” opposite Patrick Stewart) arrived on the Louisiana set of “Nickel Boys” (Amazon/MGM/Orion), her documentarian-turned-feature-director RaMell Ross told her to do something she had never done before: Look straight into the lens, without a reverse angle on her co-star. She couldn’t see her fellow actors because their faces were obscured by the camera, just as their faces were hidden from the audience.

Watching the lauded critical hit “Nickel Boys” requires an adjustment to a strict point-of-view aesthetic. But Taylor-Ellis had to make it work on the ground, on the fly. The tightly scheduled period feature (budgeted at $20 million) left little time to figure it out.

Reactions range widely to this avant-garde Colson Whitehead adaptation about a brutal southern school for boys, but among the “Nickel Boys” ensemble,...

A new report has poured cold water on the speculation that King Richard and Bad Boys: Ride or Die star Will Smith is involved with the next Matrix movie. The actor famously turned down the chance to play the lead character Neo in the original 1999 The Matrix film, with the role eventually going to Keanu Reeves.

Drew Goddard (The Martian) is attached to write and direct the Matrix franchise's fifth movie installment, and sources confirmed to Variety that Smith is not involved with the project. The rumor of the Academy Award-winning actor's involvement began on Monday after he posted a cryptic message on his Instagram recalling his rejection of the Neo role. Smith's post, which he writes in third person, reads, "In 1997, the Wachowskis offered Will Smith the role of Neo in 'The Matrix.' Smith turned it down. He chose Wild Wild West, believing it was a better...

James Gunn's Dcu can still bring back Will Smith's Deadshot and give him the Suicide Squad spinoff the actor originally wanted. From David Corenswet's Superman and Milly Alcock's Supergirl to The Brave and the Bold's Batman and a yet-to-be-cast Wonder Woman, the Dcu will introduce a new set of DC characters in both animation and live-action. However, various Dceu characters have survived the Dcu reboot — mostly those related to James Gunn's The Suicide Squad: John Cena's Peacemaker, Freddie Stroma's Vigilante, Viola Davis' Amanda Waller, Sean Gunn's Weasel, among others.

The Suicide Squad was itself a soft-reboot of Suicide Squad. Characters such as Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn and Jai Courtney's Captain Boomerang appear to be the same version of the characters in both movies, but The Suicide Squad doesn't directly reference the events of the first movie. Now that Dcu...

The 1990s were ripe with terrific sitcoms, namely "Seinfeld," "Frasier," "Friends," "Home Improvement," and "Everyone Loves Raymond." However, tucked between these shows was "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," a snappy, energetic, incredibly entertaining family comedy that launched star Will Smith to superstardom, was nominated for and won a slew of awards, spawned a modern-day spinoff series, and crafted a beloved theme song that Quincy Jones believes cemented hip-hop into pop culture. It also packed quite the emotional punch and it wasn't afraid to hit the dramatic beats. 

"Fresh Prince" ran for six solid seasons, garnering positive reviews for its cast and strong viewership ratings. Nearly everyone involved used their time on the show to achieve fame and fortune on other projects, whether television, movies, or video games. While most of the main cast never rose to the same success they enjoyed on "Fresh Prince," they remained relevant in the decades following its conclusion in 1996. So,...