Many football fans are eagerly anticipating the December release of the film Concussion, which stars Will Smith, to see how it depicts Dr. Bennet Omalu's quest to inform the NFL and greater public to the dangers of playing the sport. According to Ken Belson of the New York Times, observers may be underwhelmed at how critical of an eye the film directs at the league itself.
Belson pointed to emails from Sony Pictures executives, which show the lengths to which the studio went to possibly placate the NFL.
"Smith is not anti-football [nor is the movie] and isn't planning to be a spokesman for what football should be or shouldn't be but rather is an actor taking on an exciting challenge," wrote Dwight Caines, the president of domestic marketing at Sony Pictures, to fellow executives.