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Will Smith perfected blockbuster success, but his Oscar-worthiness is tougher – slap or no slap

29 8
10.03.2026

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Will Smith perfected blockbuster success, but his Oscar-worthiness is tougher – slap or no slap

The actor's new film "Emancipation" isn't getting much love, but probably not for the expected bad PR reasons

Published December 6, 2022 12:00PM (EST)

The story of Will Smith cracking the code to becoming one of the world’s biggest movie stars is a staple of Hollywood lore, but in case you’ve never heard of it, here’s the short version.

Early in his career, he and his manager James Lassiter sat down and analyzed what the top 10 box office successes had in common. Once they boiled down the different variables, they landed on three traits that drew audiences to theaters: special effects, creatures and a love story.

Molding this equation to suit Smith meant presenting the figure people had embraced in the 1990s hit sitcom “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and the 1995 buddy cop hit “Bad Boys” to create a box office hero that hadn’t been hyped since Eddie Murphy’s heyday.

Smith couldn’t easily crack the........

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