While Chris Rock is out here taking slaps from Will Smith, the Philly native is taking a big slap from Netflix.
Source: David Livingston / Getty
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix quietly backs away from Will Smith’s film ‘Fast and Loose.’ One week prior to the Oscar ceremony, director David Leitch withdrew as the director of the film.
He transitioned out of that role and moved onto Fall Guy as director, starring Ryan Gosling, for Universal, which is supposed to start production in August.
A source says Netflix was competing with Universal to be the next project for Leitch, but Universal pulled ahead. Shortly after Leitch made his decision, Netflix put out an urgent call for another director to take over the film featuring the star who was heavily favored to win best actor at the Oscars.
Netflix couldn’t have imagined how the Oscars night would’ve unfolded and sure enough regretted that urgent statement. Not long after Smith’s attack on Chris Rock at the Oscars stage, Netflix quietly moved the project to the back burner.
Fast and Loose had plans to tell the story of a crime boss who loses his memory after an attack. After waking up in Tijuana he pieces clues together and soon he discovers that he has led a double identity as a wealthy kingpin and a broke CIA agent.
Sounds like an interesting project but it appears that Netflix was understandably wary of moving forward. The question is will Netflix try to make the project with another star and director? Only time will tell.
As for Oscar winner, Will Smith, he now has Apple+’s slave escape drama Emancipation in post-production. The streamer had planned a 2022 debut but has not dated its release.
Otherwise, Bad Boys 4 at Sony had been in active development — Smith received 40 pages of the script prior to the Oscars — but will now pause, a per The Hollywood Reporter. A few other projects in pre-production are likely to do the same. Netflix and Apple have not released a statement yet.