Netflix Backs Out Of Will Smith’s Upcoming Film “Fast and Loose”

Well, the aftermath of Will Smith’s actions seems to be unfolding before our eyes. The streaming service Netflix has decided to back away from Smith’s film following his altercation with comedian Chris Rock.

The project already took one big hit–although that happened a week before Smith slapped Rock on the 2022 Oscars stage last Sunday. The director, David Leitch, withdrew from the project to take on another film–Fall Guy, starring Ryan Gosling, with Universal.

And now, Netflix, the platform that planned for the movie set to star Smith, has stepped away.

A source says Netflix was up against Universal to be the next project for Leitch, but Universal was able to land the director. According to sources, Netflix made an urgent call for another director to step in and oversee the project featuring Smith. But soon after Smith’s on-stage Oscars attack on Rock, Netflix quietly placed the project on its back burner, The Hollywood Reported reported.

Fast and Loose was based around a crime boss who loses his memory after an attack. After the pieces together clues, he discovers that he has led a double identity as a wealthy kingpin and a broke CIA agent.

Apparently, Netflix was wary of moving forward with the film, and it is up in the air if it will try to make the project with another star and director.

Smith also has Apple+’s slave escape drama Emancipation in post-production. The streaming platform had planned a 2022 debut however, it has not announced a release date.

As for Sony’s Bad Boys 4, Smith received 40 pages of the script before the Oscars incident— but will now pause, a source claimed.

A few other projects that are currently in pre-production are likely to follow suit.