Will Smith has landed his first project following his Oscar win – and the controversy surrounding the ceremony. He’ll be producing a new adaptation of the novel Brilliance, which Ms. Marvel director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy will be helming.
Per Deadline, the movie will be heading to Paramount Pictures with Smith also eyed to take on the lead role. Based on the book of the same name by Marcus Sakey, Brilliance follows a federal agent called Nick Cooper who tracks down people born with special powers called Brilliants.
Smith has been the subject of controversy following an incident at the 2022 Oscars where he slapped host Chris Rock on stage after the comedian made a joke about his wife. The actor has since apologized, releasing a five-minute apology video in July where he said he "fogged out" after the assault.
According to Deadline, Rock responded to the video while onstage with Dave Chappelle in London on September 3. He told the crowd in a seeming reference to the apology: "Fuck your hostage video." Meanwhile, Smith has been banned from the Oscars for 10 years over what happened.
While Brilliance is Smith’s first new project since the Oscars, he did film another project before the incident. His Apple TV Plus movie Emancipation is rumored for release at the end of this year, but nothing has been officially confirmed.
