The premiere of Apple TV+’s first original film, Emancipation, starring Will Smith, has been moved up. The streaming service had previously stated that the film would be released sometime in 2019, but after its recent premiere at the 51st annual Legislative Conference of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation in Washington, DC, and the subsequent positive reception, Apple has unexpectedly scheduled the film’s release for later this year.
The streaming service did more than just announce the premiere date for the biopic Emancipation; they also unveiled the film’s debut teaser and the official poster. In Emancipation, Smith plays Peter, a slave who fights valiantly for his freedom during the American Civil War. Smith’s unwavering will to reach the North and save his family is depicted in a headshot on the poster. Another new trailer provides a more in-depth look at the challenges Peter will confront on his mission and was also published today.
Peter, moved to action by Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, sets out on a perilous journey for freedom, despite being warned repeatedly about the dangers he would face in the Louisiana marshes. Peter also has to contend with his cruel slave owners, yet none of these setbacks stops him from accomplishing his mission. Photos from the 1863 issue of Harper’s Weekly, titled “Whipped Peter,” inspired William N. Collage’s novel Emancipation. One of the images, “The Scourged Back,” showed Peter’s disfigured back following a brutal flogging by his enslaver, and it helped to generate a broad distaste for the barbaric system of slavery since it provided people with a firsthand glimpse at the unspeakable horrors of enslaved Black men.
The film has been praised and is seen as a strong candidate for the next awards season, particularly within the Black community. Smith is joined in the cast of Emancipation by the likes of Ben Foster, Charmaine Bingwa, Gilbert Owuor, Mustafa Shakir, Steven Ogg, Grant Harvey, Ronnie Gene Bivens, Jayson Warner Smith, Jabbar Lewis, Michael Luwoye, Aaron Moten, and Imani Pullum. Scriptwriter William N. Collage’s work serves as the basis for Fuqua’s direction.
Producers Smith works with include Jon Mone of Westbrook Studios, Joey McFarland of McFarland Entertainment, and Todd Black of Escape Artists. Chris Brigham, Fuqua, James Lassiter, Heather Washington, Cliff Roberts, Glen Basner, and Scott are among the show’s executive producers. On Friday, December 9, Emancipation will debut worldwide on Apple TV+ after having its world premiere in cinemas on December 2.