Three weeks after the Apple premiere of "Emancipation" in Washington D.C. the film starring Will Smith (54) was shown in an intimate screening in Los Angeles. The guests included the musician couple Rihanna (34) and ASAP Rocky (34), the US film producers Tyler Perry (53) and Kenya Barris (49) and stand-up comedian Dave Chappelle (49).
The presence of the latter is particularly surprising, as he recently ended his joint stand-up European tour with co-headliner Chris Rock (57). The same Chris Rock who was slapped on stage by Will Smith at the last Oscars. The scandal resulted in Smith, who won an Oscar shortly after the scandal, was banned from the Academy event for ten years.
In the months since the controversial Oscars, Rock hasn't shrunk from bringing up the slap in his stand-up performances, though he's kept most of his comments relatively brief. Just last month, Rock and Chappelle revisited the issue at a show in the UK, with Rock declaring: "The bastard hit me for a stupid joke, the most harmless joke I've ever told." Chappelle also took a swipe at Smith, saying he "played a perfect man for 30 years".
While it's still unclear how Smith, Chapelle and co. came together for this special screening, several attendees shared on Instagram how special the event was. Smith himself called it an "epic night." Barris went even further, writing, "This night was truly very special. An amazing and brilliant group of friends came together and witnessed true art." He continued, "The conversation that followed was an expression of what we hope for as creatives in this industry." He thanked Chappelle for moderating. The comedian can be seen in one of the pictures speaking to the other guests.
Based on a true story, "Emancipation" follows Peter (Smith), an enslaved man who flees his plantation in search of his family, outwits cold-blooded hunters and survives the swamps of Louisiana. The film is slated to open in select theaters on December 2nd before arriving on Apple TV on December 9th.
From the beginning of December Chris Rock and Dave Chapelle will be on tour again with their program. This time it's through California, as Rock announced on Instagram.
