Will Smith Shows Off Gory Makeup From BTS Of Upcoming Movie

Will Smith, who faced public criticism for the infamous 2022 Oscars slap, is back to performing in the entertainment industry as he lets fans in on his latest project, to be released in early December.

The prominent actor is featured in the upcoming slave-inspired movie "Emancipation" based on actual life events, and he could not help but show fans on Instagram the brutal makeup done on him for his performance.

While uploading a candid image of the real-looking creative art done on his upper body, Smith credited the mastermind, Judy Murdock, behind the work in the attached caption. He wrote:

"Judy's done my makeup on almost all my movies and lemme tell you, she went WILD on #emancipation."

In the picture, the 54-year-old could be seen standing shirtless and raising his left hand to fully display the blood-coated whip marks, done on his elbow and spread from parts of his chest to his waist.

He certainly looked the part of an enslaved person, as he had a mini afro, a matching goatee, and remarkably created faux scars. Despite the criticism Smith faced for physically assaulting comedian Chris Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards, more than half a million fans reacted to his latest post with likes.

A few also commented, expressing happiness about his return to acting whereas some applauded Judy, calling her the best in the game. One supporter declared, "The most dynamic of duos. We. Stan. Judy," while another gushed, "Mannnn.. Talk about TALENT!" 

Less than a month before the update, the "Men in Black" actor invited a gathering of select friends to a private screening of the upcoming "Emancipation," which The Blast reported.

Among the guests was Dave Chappelle, no doubt surprising to fans given that Chappelle was part of those who condemned The Fresh Prince for the Oscars slap. As seen in one of Smith's Instagram posts, a carousel of photos showed the "Chappelle's Show" star among other celebs like Rihanna, A$AP Rocky, Tyler Perry, Fawn, and Kenya Barris.

In the first image, Chappelle was seen looking up at the camera as the host took a selfie with him and the other invitees. He was featured once more in the following slide and could be seen standing during a conversation with seated guests.

The 49-year-old was dressed casually for the get-together as he donned an oversized brown round-neck short and black bottoms paired with a simple necklace over his top. And in one of the pictures, behind him were spotlights highlighting a projector screen with the film's name. Smith then wrote in the caption,

"EPIC night!! Thanx for coming to see #Emancipation. Hope ya'll enjoyed!!" 

Over five thousand comments rushed in including one from Barris that read, "This night was MAGIC, and your movie is truly something that will last forever!" It is important to know that "Emancipation" is set in Louisiana during the American Civil War. In addition, it will show the "Bad Boys" star playing the role of Peter, a man who escapes slavery, beginning his search for freedom.

The film is directed by Antione Fuqua and will be Smith's first Hollywood feature since the Oscars fiasco when he slapped and screamed at Rock for joking about his wife's alopecia condition.

Following the unfortunate incident at the 2022 Academy Awards ceremony, Smith and Rock naturally fell out and are still not on speaking terms. Nevertheless, The Blast noted that there is the possibility of the two getting back together as a former co-star of the "Wild Wild West" actor, Bai Ling, believes they will "eventually become good friends."

Fans will recall that Smith was punished for his despicable actions at the Oscars event as he was banned from attending the Academy Awards for a decade. Meanwhile, Ling maintained that the Grammy Award recipient has great humility and is progressing in becoming a "better person."

Per The U.S. Sun, she mentioned that people make mistakes and acknowledged the wrongness in her former co-star's action, which she believed needs to be "recognized and changed."

Although Ling believed Smith was worth forgiving, Rock has still not accepted his apology in over eight months. Even so, she insisted they would reconcile, but "it will take a little time."