Emancipation is based on the true story of Peter (Smith), a slave who runs away from his plantation in search of his family. He travels through the Louisiana swamp while outsmarting cold-blooded hunters along the way. Later, Peter joins the Union Army, and during his medical exam, they see his bare back, which is scarred from a near-fatal beating. A photo of his back was published in The Independent under the name 'Flogged Back'. The image showed the cruelty of slavery in the United States.
Will Smith shared his thoughts on the film's premise: “Throughout my career, I've turned down a lot of movies that were set in slavery. I never wanted to show us like this, and then this picture came up, and this is not a movie about slavery. This is a movie about freedom. This is a movie about resilience. You know this is a movie about faith. It's a movie about a man's heart, um, what you might call the first viral image."
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Writer: Bill Collage
Stars: Will Smith, Ben Foster, Charmaine Bingwa
That image is the backbone of the entire story and it resonates strongly with Smith. He added: "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 [director] Antoine Fuqua could deliver."
The upcoming film stars Will Smith as Peter, Ben Foster as Fassel, Steven Ogg as Sergeant Howard, Charmaine Bingwa as Dodienne, Gilbert Owuor as Gordon, Mustafa Shakir as Andre Cailloux, and Grant Harvey as Leeds.
The film has been screened for various groups, including the Congressional Black Caucus, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, the National Council of Black Women, the National Coalition for Black Civic Engagement, and Power Rising. The film will have a limited release in select theaters on December 2, 2022, before premiering on Apple TV+ a week later on December 9, 2022. This date puts the film in the middle of awards season.
Academy Award winner Will Smith (King Richard) will star in the upcoming historical thriller, Emancipation. The film is expected to be an Oscar contender, with Smith looking to score his second straight Best Actor nomination. Directed by Antoine Fuqua (The Guilty), Emancipation is based on a true story and sees Peter (Will Smith) fight for his and his family's freedom. Emancipation is Smith's first film since he won an Oscar earlier this year, and it's already garnered acclaim. Here is everything you need to know about emancipation.