Oscar-winning actor Will Smith is reportedly planning his comeback now that the deafening outrage surrounding his infamous smackdown of Chris Rock has subsided significantly.
Smith, 54, who won his first Academy Award for his riveting portrayal of Venus and Serena Williams’ father in the film King Richard, is said to be working on the sequel to one of his many classic films.
The film, which now seems to be a precursor to the global pandemic caused by the coronavirus, is reportedly I Am Legend 2, according to The Sun.
The British newspaper said that the film is “still to be signed off by Warner Brothers, but there has been no indication that Will is off the project,” the outlet reports. “Obviously he is the producer of the film and his production company is in charge while the development continues.”
Despite the enormous fallout and backlash that Smith incurred, including being banished from any Oscar-related event for the next decade, Smith is still a very viable and bankable commodity in Hollywood.
“The reality is that Will will make a comeback at some point and it will be simply down to which studio will be the one to take a chance on him,” the newspaper quote the source. “The negative sentiments from the public about his career have certainly reduced in recent weeks as the world has moved on thanks to stories like the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard trial.”
What also is aiding in Smith’s slow but incremental image rehabilitation process is the fact that he is undergoing psychological counseling and taking a self-imposed moratorium from the industry. Besides, there are a score of Hollywood heavyweights who have rebounded from worse incidents to revive their careers.
“Certainly Hollywood loves comeback stories where stars seemingly done with the business bounce back with a big project such as with Robert Downey Junior, Mel Gibson, Drew Barrymore and Winona Ryder,” the outlet quoted its source.
