Studios shelve Bad Boys 4 and Fast and Loose following Will Smith's Oscars slap

Looks like if you're fast and loose with your words and actions as an actor, Netflix and Sony will cut you loose too.

Amidst the infamous Oscars slap, Netflix has decided to push Fast and Loose to the back burner. In a similar vein, Sony's Bad Boys 4 has been paused.

Fast and Loose starred Will Smith and told the story of a crime boss who loses his memory after an attack. Piecing together clues, he discovers that he has led a double identity as a wealthy kingpin and a broke CIA agent.

With the controversy surrounding Smith, Netflix's silent decision is likely to avoid unwanted attention.

This is the second bump on the road for the project. Its first bump was when it lost its director David Leitch to Universal's Fall Guy starring Ryan Reynolds.

In addition, Bad Boy 4 by Sony has been put on pause despite the movie being in active development for a while now. Fast and Loose and Bad Boys 4 aren't Smith's only upcoming projects.

AppleTV+'s slave drama Emancipation starring Smith is currently in post-production.

The series is planned to debut sometime in 2022 but has not confirmed a release date. Apple has declined to comment on whether the fiasco has affected plans for the drama.

Since the slap, Smith has publicly made an apology to Chris Rock and has recently resigned from the academy (via THR).

Smith's resignation means he can no longer vote for the Oscars, but can still be nominated for Academy Awards, attend future ceremonies and keep the statue he won.

ALSO READ: Academy starts process to discipline Will Smith, says he refused to leave Oscars

This article was first published in Geek Culture.