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Will Smith might’ve taken a hit to his golden boy image after that unforgettable moment at the 2022 Oscars, but if streaming charts and viral dance trends are anything to go by, the man isn’t fading quietly. In fact, he seems to be inching toward something of a renaissance.
Smith, before the red carpets and blockbuster franchises, was all about beats and rhymes as one half of a hip-hop duo. His charisma carried over seamlessly when he stepped into sitcom royalty with The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and by the time Men in Black dropped in 1997, he wasn’t just acting, he was dominating.
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While the 56-year-old has become synonymous with high-octane action thanks to series like Bad Boys, Smith’s career is peppered with heartfelt one-offs too. King Richard stands tall among those, not just for the moving performance but also for finally netting him a long-awaited Best Actor Oscar after previous nods for Ali and The Pursuit of Happyness.
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But surprisingly, the current buzz is coming from under the sea. Shark Tale, the animated underwater adventure from 2004, has swum its way back into relevance.
Smith, who voiced Oscar, a fast-talking fish who fakes fame after claiming to off a mobster’s son (a shark, of course), brought his trademark energy to the colorful cast, which also boasted names like Robert De Niro, Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Renée Zellweger, and even Martin Scorsese.
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Critics were lukewarm, but the box office told another story as it raked nearly $375 million.
Angelina Jolie stuns as Lola in Shark Tale. pic.twitter.com/g71AqUnxL5
— Netflix (@netflix) September 8, 2024
Now, 21 years later, Shark Tale is riding a streaming wave, breaking into the top 10 on both Disney+ and Hulu, and sitting comfortably at number five on Disney+.
It could very well be nostalgia playing a pivotal part in the revival and audiences do love a comeback story, especially when it comes in the form of talking fish and mafia jokes. Besides, add Smith’s recent foray into social media virality, dancing to Doechii’s “Anxiety” like the internet’s never seen him before and it’s clear the public hasn’t turned away entirely.
Last year’s Bad Boys: Ride or Die also held strong at the box office, suggesting that while controversy made headlines, his star power hasn’t dimmed completely.
For more of the latest Hollywood updates, stay tuned to Koimoi!
Must Read: Tom Hardy’s Secret Rap Career: Did “Falling On Your Arse” Prove He Could Have Been A Hip-Hop Star?
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