Many were shocked when they found out. Chris Rock was slapped by Will SmithAt the Oscars a few weeks ago. Will Packer, the producer of the awards telecast, was the one who was most shocked by the whole incident. The Hollywood vet hasn’t shied away from talking about the incident, though, and what was going on off camera when it happened. Packer also shared the thoughtful message Idris Elba wrote him after the incident.
Will Packer and Idris Elba have been working together for some time now, collaborating on notable films like 2007’s This Christmas and 2010’s Takers. The two have now reteamed for Universal Pictures’ survival thriller BeastThey are currently doing press. Friends/colleagues stopped by The Breakfast Club during the tour, during which Packer was asked if he’d consider producing the Academy Awards again. Packer quickly rejected the suggestion, considering how hard it took to make it happen. While things didn’t quite pan out the way Packer and his team anticipated, he did seem to take comfort in the encouraging message Elba sent his way:
You know what I mean, I love to pour everything into it. Idris [Elba]is one of my first texters after the whole thing, you know. He just said something like this: ‘Heavy is the head that wears the crown. Stay up, king.’ That’s my guy. He does this.
Producing the Oscars, no matter who an A-lister is, is not an easy task. It is a complex task with many moving parts. All must work together for the show’s success. Unexpected variables, like the slap, can happen. During the same interview, Idris Elba still had nothing but praises for his longtime collaborator. He said that he was grateful for the way the producer treated him. “reformatted the intimacy of the Oscars.” So it seems that Elba is indeed a man who doesn’t mind dishing out compliments.
Days later, Will Packer spoke out about what was happening behind the scenesat the Academy Awards. He stated that Chris Rock, him and the LAPD had spoken about the possibility to charge Will Smith. “battery.” Apparently, Rock was so “dismissive”Concerning pressing chargesPacker had to request that the authorities stop speaking and Packer did so. After the event, Packer received backlash. Tweet a jokeMany thought the show was inappropriate. He replied later to the remark by saying, “That’s not right!” “Black people have a defiant spirit of laughter when it comes to dealing with pain because there has been so much of it.”
Will Smith broke his silence over the slapChris Rock received my apology a few days ago. I also apologized for the mistake. “irreparable”Tony Rock’s relationship with him has been damaged. Following the apology, Smith was sent a message by Will PackerHe praised the actor’s acting ability in this interview “so transparent”He was a great friend and I wish him all the best.
The Girls TripWhile the producer may not be keen to tackle the Oscars again this year, he can affirm that his Oscars experience is something that he (or anyone else) will never forget. It’s likely that there will be those who criticize his handling of the situation. On the other hand, Idris Elba will undoubtedly give him props for the whole show.
Despite the ongoing debate BeastThe movie will hit theaters on the 19th of August as part of the scheduled of 2022 Movie Releases.