Director Admits Cutting Roger Goodell Scene in Will Smith’s ‘Concussion’ Film

Will Smith Concussion — Will Smith in the Sony film “Concussion”

*Sony is being accused of bowing down before the NFL via its upcoming film “Concussion.”

The Will Smith film, due in December, dramatizes the NFL’s mishandling of long-term concussion-related injuries among its players, and suggests the organization hid the truth and ignored the player safety.

A New York Times article on Tuesday cited e-mail exchanges (released during the Sony hack) that paint the studio as fearful of the NFL’s reaction to the film. Sony denied the allegations in a statement released Wednesday: “As will become immediately clear to anyone actually seeing the movie, nothing with regard to this important story has been ‘softened’ to placate anyone.”

Also, writer-director Peter Landesman told The Hollywood Reporter: “I can tell you my concern for the NFL and the studio’s concern for the NFL was less than zero.”

Landesman did, however, acknowledge that scenes were cut from the film including one that portrayed NFL officials and commissioner Roger Goodell in a potentially explosive conversation.

“I had a scene in the movie that took place in a room that I wasn’t in, about a conversation that took place between people that I didn’t talk to,” Landesman said. “I knew that scene took place and that conversation took place, but I didn’t hear it myself. I knew about it because I talked to someone who was in that room. I wanted to be responsible and careful, and I didn’t want to be defamatory. So, we took that out. And by the way, the movie doesn’t need it because the movie is so strong.”

Watch the “Concussion” trailer below: