WILL SMITH: Oscar-Worthy Film Scheduled

Apple Original Films will enter Will Smith into awards race. His Civil War slavery drama Emancipation is scheduled for release December 2nd.

The timing meets Academy Awards deadlines for consideration. However, Will Smith is banned from the ceremony for a decade. He is “technically eligible to be nominated.” Yet, could never accept an Oscar in-person — hypothetically — if he won.

He’s an unlikely longshot to win Best Actor after pissing off the Academy voters. Plus, he took home the Oscar this year and winning back-to-back is the rarest of Oscar victories.