Why This Will Smith Movie Is Caught up in An Ugly Legal Controversy

The Will Smith slavery drama “Emancipation” was the subject of controversy, as it was his first major film after the infamous Oscars slap. It received mixed reviews and suffered from the backlash the actor was still caught in during its 2022 release. Turns out, the real drama was happening behind the scenes.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple, the studio behind the film, threatened to pull the production out of Louisiana if lawmakers there didn’t kill a bill that would affect its app store. Tanner Magee, a legislator in the Louisiana House of Representatives, told the outlet that an employee at the tech giant informed him that if he supported a 2021 bill that would allow app developers to use an “alternative payment system” on the app store, Apple was prepared to move the film to another location.

“He basically said that if we didn’t kill the bill, he’d kill the movie and hurt our economy,” Magee said.

Moving a huge film production to another state isn’t as simple as just packing up and leaving, so it’s likely this alleged situation was just a bluff by Apple. However, if true, this is still a disturbing overreach by the powerful corporation. Apple’s spokesperson denied the accusations, telling the Journal, “We always operate with the highest standards of integrity, and allegations that we have not in this instance are false.”

As if that wasn’t enough behind the camera drama for Will, he’s been named in lawsuit connected to another one of his movies.

Do you remember the 2019 action film “Gemini Man?” Since it only made $48 million in North America, we’re guessing you don’t. The Oscar winner played an assassin who quits the business, then finds himself fighting off a clone of his younger self. The “Bad Boys” star is being dragged into a legal battle over it.

According to In Touch Weekly, the actor is one of several defendants named in a copyright infringement lawsuit. Kissinger Sibanda is reportedly an attorney and writer who alleges his 2011 book was the basis for “the film’s marketing strategy – taking themes, plots, characterizations, context and cultural subtexts.” He claims he told Smith’s stunt double about his book in 2012, though he can’t remember the stunt double’s name. He also allegedly sent the book to talent agency William Morris Endeavor. It’s worth noting that a lot of agencies will not open unsolicited materials. The screenplay is credited to David Benioff, Billy Ray and Darren Lemke, with Benioff and Lemke given story credit.

Will recently made his big comeback to mainstream popularity with the success of “Bad Boys: Ride or Die.” We’re sure the last thing he wants right now is to be dragged into legal issues over two films he’d probably rather move on from.