Will Smith already has critics talking about the Oscars for his role portraying Richard Williams in the upcoming film King Richard.

The actor, who portrays the father of legendary tennis champions Venus Williams and Serena Williams in the film, won praise from film critics after the movie premiered at the Telluride Film Festival on Thursday.

Vanity Fairs chief critic Richard Lawson wrote after the festival that he believed Smith is gonna win that Oscar.

I just think the Smith campaign has all the necessary components to make it successful, he later added in reference to Smith winning a Best Actor award for his role.

Varietys film awards editor, Clayton Davis, wrote that Smith is at the forefront of what is going to be a cutthroat best actor race.

Other critics shared similar sentiments about Smiths performance on Twitter, with some predicting that the film could also be nominated for Best Picture .