Will Smith already has critics talking about the Oscars for his portrayal of Richard Williams in the upcoming movie “King Richard.”
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The actor, who plays the father of legendary tennis champions Venus Williams and Serena Williams in the film, earned critical acclaim after the film’s premiere at the Telluride Film Festival on Thursday.
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Vanity Fair’s lead critic Richard Lawson wrote after the festival that he believed Smith would “win that Oscar.”
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“I think that Smith’s campaign has all the necessary components to make it a success,” he added later, referring to Smith, who won the Best Actor award for his role.
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Variety Film Awards editor Clayton Davis wrote that Smith was on “the front lines of what would become the ruthless best actor career.”
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Other critics shared similar feeling about Smith’s performance on Twitter, with some predicting that the movie might as well nominated for Best Film.
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Griffin’s face via Getty Images
Will Smith at the 2020 Salute to Greatness Awards Gala on January 18, 2020, in Atlanta, Georgia.
Smith has been recognized by the Academy for his previous work.
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The “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” actor earned a Best Actor nomination for playing legendary boxer Muhammad Ali in the 2001 film “Ali.” He also won the Best Actor award for his role as businessman Chris Gardner, who inspired the 2006 film “The Pursuit of Happyness.”
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Smith, who served as a producer on “King Richard,” said in an Instagram post in July that having a role that celebrates a person’s legacy while they are alive has been one of his “greatest rewards” as an actor.
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If Smith gets a Best Actor nomination, and if “King Richard” gets a Best Picture nomination, then Smith will become the second black person to be nominated for acting and production in the same year, Variety reports. (Denzel Washington was nominated for Best Actor for “Fences” in 2016). He directed and served as a producer on the film, which was also nominated for Best Picture that same year.)
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“King Richard” also has generating some Oscar buzz for Beyoncé. The film features an original song titled “Be Alive” by the singer and DIXSON, according to Variety.
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“King Richard,” directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green and written by Zach Baylin, is scheduled to hit US theaters on November 19. The film will premiere on HBO Max through the platform’s ad-free package for 31 days after its theatrical release.
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The Academy is scheduled to announce its Oscar nominations in February.
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