Will Smith hosted an intimate screening of his new movie for his closest showbiz pals (Picture: Instagram/@WillSmith)

Will Smith gathered some of his most A-list celebrity friends, such as Rihanna and Dave Chappelle, to host a special screening of his new movie.

The Fresh Prince of Bel Air actor is attempting to move on from controversy earlier this year, after he slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars, with the release of his new film Emancipation.

Over the weekend, Smith, 54, invited an intimate group to watch the Apple TV+ drama in a private screening.

It was certainly a star-studded affair with Rihanna joined by her rapper boyfriend A$AP Rocky, comedian Chappelle and filmmaker Tyler Perry, among others.

Smith shared a selfie of the group in an Instagram post with Rihanna, 34, seen throwing up bunny ears with her fingers above the actor’s head, and pouting while cosying up to Rocky. A second photo shows stand-up comedian Chappelle standing in the middle of the seats and entertaining the group before the film started.

‘EPIC night!! Thanx for coming to see #Emancipation. Hope ya’ll enjoyed!!’ Smith captioned the post.

Smith is clearly still well-connected despite the scandal, with Rihanna and Dave Chappelle among guests (Picture: Instagram/@WillSmith)

Smith hailed it as an ‘epic’ night (Picture: Instagram/@WillSmith)

Emancipation sees Smith play a slave who flees a Louisiana plantation and embarks on a journey to reunite with his family. Based on the true story of ‘whipped Peter’ from 1863 who was taken during a Union Army medical examination, the film will debut on the streaming platform on December 9.

It appears Chappelle isn’t choosing sides in the feud between Smith and Rock, who was attacked by the actor as the Oscars broadcast live in March for joking about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith.

Chappelle is known to be good friends with Rock, and the pair recently embarked on a comedy tour together with dates including the UK.

The actor is returning to the spotlight after becoming embroiled in controversy (Picture: Getty Images)

Smit shocked the world when he struck Chris Rock across the face at the Oscars over a joke (Picture: AFP via Getty Images)

Madea actor Perry, who attended the Emancipation screening, was famously seen trying to talk to Smith calmly moments after the shocking incident at the Oscars.

Smith apologised for his actions and resigned from the Academy, with bosses confirming that he had been banned from any Oscars events for a decade.

The actor, who won best actor for his performance in King Richard moments after the attack, returned to the public eye earlier this month at an event for Emancipation.

Speaking to the crowd, the Hollywood star said: ‘Throughout my career, I’ve turned down many films that were set in slavery.

‘And then this picture came along. And this is not a film about slavery. This is a film about freedom. This is a film about resilience. This is a film about faith.’

He continued: ‘This is a film about the heart of a man — what could be called the first viral image.

‘Cameras had just been created, and the image of whipped Peter went around the world. It was a rallying cry against slavery, and this was a story that exploded and blossomed in my heart that I wanted to be able to deliver to you in a way that only Antoine Fuqua could deliver.’

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