The Academy Award-Winning Will Smith Movie Leaving Netflix Soon
If you were even vaguely familiar with pop culture and entertainment news during the 2022 Oscars, you may remember hearing about the film King Richard, starring Will Smith. The film was nominated in multiple categories and ultimately won an Academy Award for Smith’s leading performance. But it was overshadowed by the headline-grabbing Oscars slap, which saw Smith attacking host Chris Rock for making an ill-timed jab at his wife.
Despite this media frenzy, King Richard is a terrific film which stands on its own merit, and is currently streaming on Netflix.
Will Smith In King Richard
If you’re interested in catching King Richard and seeing what all the fuss is about, you’ll have to act quickly, as the movie is poised to depart Netflix on August 1.
The critically acclaimed biopic is just one of many films slated to be rotated off the streaming library next month, alongside the likes of Looper, Hulk, Battleship, and Fatal Attraction.
While there’s no telling what streamer will snatch King Richard up next, the film will undoubtedly stay in rotation somewhere, as it’s widely regarded as the best Will Smith performance in years.
Will Smith Plays Richard Williams
King Richard was written by Creed 3 scribe Zach Baylin and directed by Bob Marley: One Love filmmaker Reinaldo Marcus Green.
Will Smith stars in the title role as Richard Williams, the father and voracious coach of world-famous tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams. Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Saniyya Sidney, Demi Singleton, Kevin Dunn, and The Walking Dead‘s Jon Bernthal round out the cast, though Smith is obviously the focal point of the emotional journey.
King Richard Is A True Story
The narrative of King Richard serves as a true story retelling of Williams’ life, as he attempts to mold his daughters into the elite athletic force that they are today.
Growing up in the slums of Compton, California, Richard constructs a plan for success even before his daughters are born, intending to give them the best head-start humanly possible.
Early on in the film, Richard is shown training his girls from a young age, while making videotapes, brochures, and other voracious advertisements to entice a professional trainer to come on board.
Raising Tennis Stars
After a great deal of chasing ledes and financial negotiation, Richard is able to secure the help of coach Paul Cohen, though Cohen only makes himself available for Venus.
Richard and his wife Brandy continue to push both girls to the brink of their abilities every day as they enter local juniors tournaments and beyond, even as the black family is ostracized by the predominantly white tennis crowd. Needless to say, by the time the credits roll on King Richard, both young women have secured a major foothold in the world of tennis and are on the fast track to major success.
King Richard Came Out At A Bad Time
Despite King Richard‘s incredible critical response, culminating in the film’s 90 percent certified fresh critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, the film was a financial flop. This makes perfect sense as the movie was delivered during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and premiered in a limited theatrical release alongside a direct-to-streaming drop on the now-defunct HBO Max. King Richard only made $39 million at the global box office, losing millions against its $50 million production budget.
Streaming King Richard On Netflix
Obviously, things only got worse for the producers of King Richard once the infamous Oscars slap incident took place the following year, and now the film is forever tied to that one pop culture event.
Still, King Richard is a terrific movie that showcases the hard work, dedication, and perseverance instilled in the Williams girls, making it one of the best sports movies on the Netflix platform today. Be sure to stream this film now while you have the chance, because it will be taken off of Netflix on August 1.
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