The infamous Oscars slap has affected several of the 'King Richard' star's projects as it's also reported that 'Bad Boys 4' and 'Fast and Loose' are currently on hold.

• Apr 5, 2022

AceShowbiz - Will Smith seemingly can't just move past his infamous Oscars slap. Following the awkward confrontation with Chris Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards, several of his film projects are now in limbo.

One of his upcoming films that have been reportedly affected by the Oscars drama is his planned biopic. According to The Sun, Netflix and Apple+ previously showed interest in the project, but have now removed their bids amid the backlash over his behavior at the March 27 ceremony.

"Netflix and Apple+ have quietly removed their bids for a Will Smith biopic and will instead relocate the funds and develop original ideas from new black actors," a source told the outlet. "Working with Will has become a risky business. They now plan on developing ideas with more family friendly stars like Mike Epps and Michael B. Jordan."

The same site revealed last month that both streaming services were fighting to secure rights to the film about Will's life. It is supposed to be based on his best-selling autobiography, which was released last year.

Prior to this, The Hollywood Reporter also said that at least of two other projects are on hold following his Oscars slap. Prior to the incident, "Bad Boys 4" had been in active development and the 53-year-old had been handed out 40 pages of script, but it's now on pause.

Meanwhile, a planned Netflix movie, "Fast and Loose", starring Will lost David Leitch as its director one week before the Oscars. The filmmaker chose to work on "The Fall Guy" starring Ryan Gosling for Universal instead.

Netflix was immediately looking for another director to take over the project, but has now "quietly moved the project to the back burner." It is unclear if the streamer will move forward with the project with a new director and actor.

In the wake of the Oscars drama, Will has issued a public apology, in which he admitted that his action was "unacceptable and inexcusable." Later on April 1, he resigned from the Academy. "Change takes time and I am committed to doing the work to ensure that I never again allow violence to overtake reason. I deprived other nominees and winners of their opportunity to celebrate and be celebrated for their extraordinary work," he wrote in a letter. "I am heartbroken."

He added, "I want to put the focus back on those who deserve attention for their achievements and allow the Academy to get back to the incredible work it does to support creativity and artistry in film. So, I am resigning from membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and will accept any further consequences the Board deems appropriate."

The A.M.P.A.S President David Rubin accepted the resignation in an official statement but said that they would continue their investigation.