After a career spanning more than two decades, Will Smith may finally his have first real shot at winning an Academy Award.

That’s if the pre-release buzz for his new film, Collateral Beauty, is anything to go by.

Smith stars in the emotional drama alongside other big names including Kate Winslet, Keira Knightley, Edward Norton and Helen Mirren.

The 47-year-old actor plays Howard Inlet, a successful and popular New York advertising executive who becomes withdrawn and depressed following the death of his daughter.

His concerned friends notice that in order to cope Howard writes letters to the concepts of death, time and love.

In a bizarre twist, death, time and love turn out to be real people (Mirren, newcomer Jacob Latimore and Knightley) who come looking for Howard in an effort to save him from his course of self-destruction.

It’s an unusual premise and viewers are already trying to guess the ending, with some predicting the personified concepts are actually actors hired by Howard’s friends to provide him some comfort.

The film is clearly reminiscent of other reflective classics like It’s a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Carol, and reactions have been overwhelmingly positive, with the trailer going viral online soon after it was released.

Smith has never won an Oscar, but he’s been nominated twice for Best Actor – in 2007 for The Pursuit of Happyness and in 2002 for Ali. 

While the star-studded ensemble in Collateral Beauty could give him a boost, some are concerned the movie is trying too hard to be Oscar bait.

Just saw the trailer for Collateral Beauty. Will Smith's chasing the Oscar HARD this year. Don't get in Jada's way if he's not nominated…

— Andrew Schweitzer (@SchweitzerMan) September 7, 2016

COLLATERAL BEAUTY looks like it wants to be in the Oscar conversation but will likely be relegated to How Did This Get Made conversation.

— Cola (@colasante) September 7, 2016

COLLATERAL BEAUTY looks charming. No stuffy Oscar bait. Just looks interesting. That was a good trailer.

— Olivia Colman FTW (@ColmanFtw) September 7, 2016

Collateral Beauty hits US cinemas in December this year, with no word yet on an Australian release date.