Netflix Cancels Bright 2 Plans After Will Smith Oscar Incident

The fallout from Will Smith’s slap of Chris Rock at The Academy Awards continues to be felt with a new report from Bloomberg revealing more projects featuring the actor that have been delayed and cancelled. According to the outlet a new nature series from National Geographic hosted by Smith has been delayed until later in the year, but the article’s author Lucas Shaw took to Twitter to also add that “Netflix has also abandoned plans to make a sequel to Bright.” In his tweet he clarified that the cancellation of a Bright 2 was “unrelated to the incident,” something that has also been said about other Smith projects in recent days.

The last update that was made about a sequel to Bright came last summer when a report reveal the script was being fine-tuned and that Netflix expected Will Smith and Joel Edgerton to return. Even director David Ayer was attached to return for a time but dropped out as development continued to stall. Bright 2 is just the latest filming starring Smith that has been nixed at Netflix with the movie Fast and Loose also having been shelved by the streamer. At the time it was reported that Fast and Loose stalling out also had nothing to do with the Oscar slap but due to director David Leitch developing another project at another studio.

“My actions at the 94th Academy Awards presentation were shocking, painful, and inexcusable. The list of those I have hurt is long and includes Chris, his family, many of my dear friends and loved ones, all those in attendance, and global audiences at home,” Smith wrote in an apology after the incident, which earned him a 10 year ban from The Oscars. “I betrayed the trust of the Academy. I deprived other nominees and winners of their opportunity to celebrate and be celebrated for their extraordinary work. I am heartbroken. I want to put the focus back on those who deserve attention for their achievements and allow the Academy to get back to the incredible work it does to support creativity and artistry in film.”  

Netflix has not abandoned the Bright property entirely though as they have an animated spin-off movie that was released last year. Bright: Samurai Soul, which was directed by Kyohei Ishiguro, was described as being “In the early years of Japan’s Meiji Restoration, a human ronin must unite with an orc assassin to save an elf orphan from their common adversary.”