The cancelation of the show, which is produced by Will and Jada Pinkett Smith's Westbrook Studios and Topgolf Entertainment Group, reportedly has nothing to do with the infamous Oscars slap.
- May 4, 2022
AceShowbiz - Will Smith's stand-up comedy series "This Joka" has been canceled. It was reported that the show, which featured comedians like Baron Vaughn, Megan Gailey, Punkie Johnson and Sean Patton among others, will not return for a second season on Roku.
The streaming service confirmed the cancellation to Deadline. It was also noted that the decision had nothing to do with Will's Oscars incident, where he slapped Chris Rock on stage for making a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's head.
Roku seemingly didn't have an option to renew "This Joka" even before it launched the show and before it had the chance to analyse the viewing data. Thus, the show ended in its first season.
Produced by Will and Jada's Westbrook Studios and Topgolf Entertainment Group, the show featured a "diverse lineup of up-and-coming, established, and legendary comedians to explore the nature of comedy and its unique ability to bring people together." Guests from the first season also included Rosebud Baker, Shane Torres, Clayton English, Christi Chiello, Vanessa Gonzalez and many others.
Will's other projects have been in limbo in the wake of his Oscars drama. One in particular is his planned biopic. According to The Sun, Netflix and Apple+ previously showed interest in the project, but have now removed their bids amid the backlash over his behavior at the March 27 ceremony.
"Netflix and Apple+ have quietly removed their bids for a Will Smith biopic and will instead relocate the funds and develop original ideas from new black actors," a source told the outlet. "Working with Will has become a risky business. They now plan on developing ideas with more family friendly stars like Mike Epps and Michael B. Jordan."
The Hollywood Reporter, meanwhile, said that at least of two other projects are on hold following his Oscars slap. Prior to the incident, "Bad Boys 4" had been in active development and the 53-year-old had been handed out 40 pages of script, but it's now on pause.
