CNN —After the Academy Awards earlier this year, movie watchers and industry insiders alike have wondered what Will Smith’s now-infamous, on-air slapping of Chris Rock will mean for the “King Richard” actor’s career, as well as his future Oscars chances. Now, ahead of the release of Smith’s new film “Emancipation,” director Antoine Fuqua is opening up about all that speculation, and his wish that audiences will instead focus on the searing narrative at the heart of the movie, namely the historic struggle against slavery in America. Four hundred years of slavery is bigger than one moment,” Fuqua told Vanity Fair in an interview published on Tuesday about the film, in which Smith plays a character named Peter, a man who escapes from slavery. The character was inspired by a historical figure commonly referred to as “Whipped Peter,” who was featured in graphic 1863 photos that depicted the brutality of slavery. Director Antoine Fuqua, seen here posing during a photocall on the set of the film "Equalizer 3" on October 19, 2022, directed Will Smith in the soon-to-be-released film "Emancipation."

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