Will Smith gave his Hollywood colleague Johnny Depp a friendly hug as the couple attended the star-studded Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The former Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, 55, who admitted he “made a lot of mistakes” after the infamous Oscars slap, uploaded an Instagram video on Saturday capturing his embrace with Depp, 60.
The reel featured a montage of special moments from his time at the festival, and at one point Smith was seen crossing paths with the Edward Scissorhands actor.
The two smiled happily before stepping forward for a quick warm hug at the HWJN screening earlier this week on Thursday at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel.
Will and Johnny then had a casual conversation on the opening night of the film festival, which is scheduled to end on December 9th.
Will Smith, 55, gave his Hollywood colleague Johnny Depp, 60, a friendly hug as the couple attended the star-studded Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
The two smiled happily before stepping forward for a quick warm hug at the HWJN screening earlier this week on Thursday
The clip also showed the Men In Black star playing a game of golf and exploring Jeddah’s Old City.
He also included a snap of himself drinking “a lot” of coffee and taking time to take selfies with adoring fans during the glittering event.
In the caption of Smith’s most recent post, he wrote: “Wow! Thank you, Red Sea Film Festival! They have created real magic – an oasis of art and creativity! What’s next? Count me in.’
Social media users jumped to the comments section to share their excitement over seeing the two actors together.
One wrote: “Ooooh… Will Smith and Johnny Depp… I would definitely watch a movie with both of them,” followed by a heart-shaped eyes emoji.
Another typed: “Johnny Depp & Will Smith = EPIC,” while a fan added: “Please make a movie with Johnny Depp.”
Their meeting comes after Depp’s trial with ex-wife Amber Heard last year in 2022, as well as Jada Pinkett Smith’s recent revelation that she and Will have been living apart since 2016.
Johnny and Will celebrated the opening night of the Red Sea Film Festival with an appearance at the screening of the fantasy epic HWJN, directed by Yasir Al-Yasiri.
The reel featured a montage of special moments from the festival so far, and towards the end, Smith’s path was seen crossing with the Edward Scissorhands actor
Will and Johnny then had a brief conversation while meeting on the opening night of the film festival, which is scheduled to end on December 9th
The premise, according to IMDB, is “A curious djinn falls in love with a human girl while uncovering the truth about his royal lineage” and is based on the novel by Ibraheem Abbas.
Later on Friday, Johnny was spotted again on the red carpet to attend the screening of his period piece “Jeanne du Barry.”
The Pirates of the Caribbean star wore a sleek classic black suit, which he paired with a white shirt that was partially unbuttoned towards the collar.
At the festival, the Oscar-nominated actor joined Maïwenn, who not only played the lover of King Louis XV in the film. performed, but also wrote, produced and directed the project.
During a panel discussion at the screening, Depp – the King Louis XV – gushed. embodied – by Maïwenn’s ability to step both behind and in front of the camera.
“They’re such opposite things.” “It was great that Maïwenn had the ability to step away from the dream that was on the monitor,” he said, per Deadline. “That’s a gift when you can distance yourself from the actor when you’re directing the thing.”
“The actor, in a strange way, should almost do his best to clear his mind of everything, so that you’re not aware of what’s going on around you, you’re in the scene.”
“But a director has to be aware of everything that’s going on, everything that’s happening,” he continued.
In the caption of Smith’s most recent post, he wrote: “Wow! Thank you, Red Sea Film Festival! They have created real magic – an oasis of art and creativity! What’s next? Count me in’; seen on Thursday in Saudi Arabia
Later on Friday, Johnny was spotted again on the red carpet to attend the screening of his period piece “Jeanne du Barry.”
“Jeanne du Barry” premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in early May this year and received a seven-minute standing ovation.
Smith was also spotted during a discussion on the In Conversation panel on Saturday, talking about “mistakes” he’s made and also referred to “Fame” as a “unique monster.”
He took part in an on-stage conversation with Lebanese television presenter Raya Abirached in front of a crowd of enthusiastic fans.
The actor seemed comfortable talking about his “many adversities” over the past few years and how he has tried to learn from his mistakes to move forward.
“I made a lot of mistakes,” Smith admitted to the lively film festival audience. “We love your mistakes,” one woman shouted in response.
He appeared to allude to his infamous slap at host Chris Rock during the 94th Academy Awards in 2022 and the public problems in his marriage to Jada Pinkett Smith, who recently announced that they have been living apart since 2016.
The “In Conversation” session at the Vox cinema complex in the city’s Red Sea Mall began with a highlight of his career that drew plenty of applause and cheers, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
He further revealed that he managed to solve some of his problems with the help of famous musician and producer Quincy Jones, whom he described as a trusted advisor and mentor.
“Quincy has always made himself available,” Smith said, adding, “He wants me to win as a human being. “He’s dedicated to me as a human being, not just as an artist.”
During a panel discussion at the screening, Depp – the King Louis XV – gushed. embodied – by Maïwenn’s ability to step both behind and in front of the camera; Maïwenn and Depp up in Jeanne du Barry
Smith was also spotted during a discussion on the “In Conversation” panel on Saturday, talking about “mistakes” he’s made and also referred to “Fame” as a “unique monster.”
Will later reflected on his career in Hollywood, admitting, “Fame is a unique monster and I had to be really careful,” and also touched on some of the lessons he learned along the way.
The star also previewed the sequel to his 2007 film I Am Legend during the panel. “I have a conversation with Michael B. Jordan tomorrow. I can’t tell you anything more.’
Although his character, Robert Neville, dies in the film, an alternate ending was included on the DVD that showed Neville alive.
“So we’re sticking with the mythology of the DVD version where my character lived,” the Oscar winner revealed.