Will Smith fans are reacting after finding out he will reportedly be paid $35 million for starring in the Apple+ TV movie ‘Emancipation’

As Will Smith finally speaks about the Oscar debacle for the first time, so does his money. Variety and other outlets have reported that Smith will be paid $35 million for his role in the Apple TV+ thriller Emancipation.

Directed by Antoine Fuqua, “Emancipation” stars Smith as an enslaved individual trying to escape from her plantation owners. When the news of the big payout broke, many fans applauded the Oscar winner.

“As he should.”

“You don’t think Will wouldn’t get further into the bag.”

“Can’t suppress a talented black man!”

“No surprise here. OSCAR WINNER WILL SMITH. Respect his name.”

“Well, everyone makes mistakes. He’s certainly entitled to his,” one person said, while another wrote, “He’ll make a bag no matter who it’s from. It cannot be cancelled!”

In March, Smith caused an uproar around the world after he took to the stage and slapped Chris Rock in the face for making a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. His actions resulted in a 10-year ban.

It’s unclear if the payout agreement for “Emancipation” happened before or after the Oscar controversy. But Smith’s new role may come as a shock to many, as he originally spoke out against acting in slave movies. In a 2021 cover story in GQ’s November issue, the veteran actor admitted he’s “always avoided making films about slavery.”

He continued, “Early on in my career … I didn’t want to show black people in that light. I wanted to be a superhero. So I wanted to portray black excellence alongside my white peers.”

The 53-year-old explained that he would like to play acting roles Tom cruise, adding: “And the first time I thought about it, it was ‘Django.’ But I didn’t want to make a slave film about revenge.”

Smith has previously openly spoken out about turning down the role of Jamie Foxx in Quentin Tarantino’s film Django Unchained. But in his opinion, “Emancipation” is more than a slave film. Directed by Antoine Fuqua, the project is based on the harrowing true story of a runaway slave named Peter who escapes to freedom and joins the Union Army. Also joining the cast is Zimbabwean-American actress Charmaine Bingwa as Peter’s wife, Dodienne.

“This was about love and the power of black love,” Smith told the outlet about the film. “And that was something I could rock with. We wanted to make a story about how black love makes us invincible.”