Emancipation

While “Emancipation” was filmed long before that Oscars slap and the inevitable fallout, the film makes perfect sense as Will Smith's follow-up project.

Will Smith perhaps irreversibly damaged his reputation when he decided to answer comedian Chris Rock's words with a blow during the Oscars ceremony earlier ...

Any discussion of "Emancipation" will inevitably be clouded by the Will Smith of it all, and Apple's decision to release the movie into the teeth of awards ...

Emancipation tells the story of Peter, a slave who escapes his plantation, but his journey is full of danger. Read our review.

Will Smith in "Emancipation," premiering Dec. 9, 2022, on Apple TV+. Quantrell Colbert—Apple TV+. Ideas. By Janell ...

The highly anticipated film tells the story of Peter, played by Smith, an enslaved man who is almost killed by the owners of a plantation. Peter escapes and has ...

The film stars Will Smith as an enslaved person seeking the promise of freedom enshrined in the Emancipation Proclamation.

“Emancipation” is out on Apple TV+. [WBUR.org.](https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2022/12/09/emancipation-will-smith-slap) [Eric Deggans](https://www.npr.org/people/243254424/eric-deggans) joins us to talk about the film and how Smith is faring since slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars.

Smith discusses his recent emotional emancipation and director Antoine Fuqua discusses the film's black-and-white symbolism.

Sign up for BET+ ►► [http://bit.ly/betplus](https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbElmVVo4cDJUbzVZU3AzV0diS0FkTnJ1dGdPQXxBQ3Jtc0tsSUpUSGZyVWRBYWFYa1hzRDFaeEJsb25VbGFLaW1qSkpiM0xodUx4MXFpSWRmNmlMZHluUWtfcFhqUy10aF9KT1ROWEp3NElFdy04dGZOam9CcDFvLUtaNEpmNmxNTlRrS0hWT2d2ZTE0OEhIV0pJTQ&q=http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2Fbetplus)Connect with BET Web: [http://www.BET.com](https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbWFwOUxkRF9DLWpzVWNmNUtOSVpNRDRYOEkyUXxBQ3Jtc0trb2U1VlY5b2c1Q0FoSURFZjBwZVppZDBfUDBvbzRrRW9tRmFlVGlsaUYwNW9ZQU0wTWZOZ3hKaU1hdl95akVOZWxLMzFZMFk2Zy0yc2dtemVSYzFiSkE0YWhBQTVLclVDTGRac3BCTERnb3ZGU2xEUQ&q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.BET.com%2F)Facebook: [http://www.facebook.com/BET](https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbGI2NldVZDVhX3RZWERnMnhub284ajljb0Rld3xBQ3Jtc0trc1pyX3VIUGJ6YkFBWDMtYUt5UHdTZU9wYm5heGMtLWxiYllVMXVDcGhfd1lyYjFrRkdvVV9sb2dfTEpDZ2gwZUkzOHdjUnc3Xzl4YWdJX0dhbjlRa1NPVDF2UVlicmZUNFBYZ3JMMXM1S2dQc3Y2OA&q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FBET)Twitter: [http://www.twitter.com/BET](https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbG5MdnFTcjFlNUE1cHV1RDVwb0xxaEp2c3JNZ3xBQ3Jtc0tuT0JZbGYxaUtYVzhSRV9kOFRWbjkyTFBmTlpYWWFqbkhSQ2xkd1o4T2tPYmhBNHlVVm43WHR3WHJIdUVPZjE3WlE4enZTVFBrZUVUMWVyZ2l3WHl2Q3F2VF9EZ2JuX0JrcnlKaGhRSmFhZjQxUmE0QQ&q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.twitter.com%2FBET)Instagram: [http://www.instagram.com/BET](https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqblNuSkU0WUw4TW8xQ3VLMEo3bFJyQ1NOeGgzQXxBQ3Jtc0tubEF3V0ltWkIzU2xyV1BpMTZzZTJvQ25jWG9CUElOUU8zTy1MUjlGRG1GMm9YMmhMdkhoQ2toeXhlSjZadVpqemFfNE96U2VMRHdBZ1FXcElWVVBkV0V3VVdLNkpNTzBON2lpVW5NbEVqWFEyZWNTTQ&q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2FBET)BET+: [https://www.bet.plus](https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa0JwMVV0MnZoeTNyY2JrWDZ3YXJ5eFo3S2RrZ3xBQ3Jtc0tsWjhNSzhRWTR2WmMxeUhUbFcxdFVZR3M5UFNnYS1jV1h5Z2lDRVNTNmRzWU52UlhiaW9sNkREZzJROGdjd1NaTE8zRkxTN0tNNHY4c3J3Y29INDVlMjlWeG9LaERjaEtYRzE1S1BIcEJKTEZJVzQ0WQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bet.plus%2F) [https://www.instagram.com/betplus/](https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa2owSERrcHZLUlFUcXpCUHdOUFB1NUh5M1Y1UXxBQ3Jtc0trcHBjSFlaSHMyX1FRT3FzWW9DSWF6VlVwMEtUX05zTzdwczZCdlI2dldKb0NhalNPenlhNEtQajdfX0lnTERHYlZFOC1hbFpDYTc4S1cwQlVTd1dreGZKVmxsaExjNjFqVGFWbFJ4bVMzM0pkN3M5QQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fbetplus%2F) [https://twitter.com/betplus](https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbE9mLXl0ODhqbGNpZXVmbDdWb0c3MGZmbHpZZ3xBQ3Jtc0trVW5iWmZKVXJJaXVkZ0FyZEw3UjNVZlBKdkxGLTdvb0pCOEY0MEpRZmtCRjFYNldrVHp1aTZDNEpjTFZiRW9QZXNqS2d2ZWlITHBydC1ReW12TnlXWkZoa25iMGZjZ0VnMFRnR0FKelRSbWdGSVhuQQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fbetplus) [https://www.facebook.com/yourbetplus/](https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqazlTTUxydmM0SzBhLXAwWFVEN2FhQlFZTTZBQXxBQ3Jtc0tuSnRPT0gwYTNuM3pGX0xPbmRneldFMFE5NjlJQm5qUmdlVlZHSWxidE4tOWlUVXFDdXN2R1RwbHRvU2N1TjJBNXdjRlhyYjNZNzJScWVjN0ZiTTJib0JxdTlhS2hNTFMxQ0FZa01NQUs0cUMyM0hJMA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fyourbetplus%2F)Google+: [http://www.bet.us/gplusBET](https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbHhZVExDZ1dud1VfY29XeWREQld3a2F0MHZTUXxBQ3Jtc0ttSnJEaG9wR0lwSG5rWTk2STBULW1VOVE2SDlnRk9TVGlRUzJGY21LWGFERWxjdng0b2NJVkFMNEllNTBIX25nRWp4cU5SYm1Ga3ZQbnBicnlTMmtXMFNjdzlGQk44bzdPNjVCQ3pKcl9keWdCLW4ybw&q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bet.us%2FgplusBET) [Read more](/watch?v=zbZ9UjR-X_g) ►► [http://bit.ly/1U0v9xG](https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa2ZPMXRueWp0a0hwS2cxYWozTk5RU2g5bjMyZ3xBQ3Jtc0trQnFYOUgzS3RUc2NEeWp0TFZzQ3NkSmtmaVp6N2plcjB6VllQSXZLdTByaXNaRHVYemhLOEwzTWgtOTZrTFhaZHlRYnMteERSbVlVN0pmNDVUS2QyODNDTmZjM3pyaG9FUl8wRldFRmlMS1AwRmFoUQ&q=http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F1U0v9xG)Stream Black Culture with BET+. [#NAACPImageAwards](/hashtag/naacpimageawards)Entertainer of the Year Award [#BlackAndUnlimited](/hashtag/blackandunlimited)SUBSCRIBE to [#BET](/hashtag/bet)!

Will Smith stars as runaway slave Peter in Antoine Fuqua's (The Guilty) 2022 historical drama Emancipation. Inspired by the infamous 1863 images of a slave ...

Part of that red in the flag is representative of what was being sacrificed on that day,” Robert explained. The light has to work with the narrative. While that's a stellar (and somewhat sassy) guess, this isn't exactly the reason for the subdued color spectrum. [Emancipation](https://www.distractify.com/p/emancipation-movie-filming-locations). [Will Smith](https://www.distractify.com/p/will-smith-net-worth) (King Richard) has been pretty quiet since he [slapped Oscars host and Emmy winner Chris Rock](https://www.distractify.com/p/was-will-smith-and-chris-rock-slap-staged) (Grown Ups) at the 2022 Academy Awards. The surreal moment felt like a fever dream, and it sparked both internet discourse and [a slew of memes](https://www.distractify.com/p/will-smith-chris-rock-memes).

Will Smith says he wants as many people as possible to see Emancipation so he's footing the bill for a 2-month trial of Apple TV+.

The film is inspired by the story of Gordon, a former slave whose horrific whip scars on his back were captured in a very famous photograph. So, I got two months free of Apple TV+ for everybody to watch Emancipation," Smith says in a video posted to Instagram, noting that the trial offer can be found at Based on a true story, Emancipation follows Smith as a slave who escapes the brutal torment endured at a plantation, eventually heading up North and joining the Union Army. By coming out before the end of the year, Emancipation will be eligible for the Academy Awards next year. [Will Smith](https://movieweb.com/person/will-smith/) wants everybody to watch [Emancipation](https://movieweb.com/movie/emancipation), so much so that if you don't currently subscribe to Apple TV+, then the bill is on him. Whether that will happen remains to be seen, but the release strategy does suggest that the brass at Apple feel that Smith has a chance of getting back into the Oscar conversation in 2023.

Louisville native and film producer Joey McFarland is behind the latest Will Smith film "Emancipation." Here's what to know about the film.

[Bill Collage](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0171651/?ref_=tt_ov_wr) to create the script for the film. During the Courier Journal's previous interview with McFarland, he said, "I can't tell you what a dream this is. "Historians say this photograph became a wordless indictment that opened people's eyes to the atrocities of slavery," the film producer said. [Emancipation](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12530246/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0)" debuts globally on Dec. [Joey McFarland](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2110175/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1), a graduate of [De Sales High School](https://www.desaleshighschool.com/) and the [University of Louisville](http://louisville.edu/), is known for producing such films as " [Wolf of Wall Street](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0993846/)," " [Papillon](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5093026/)," and " [Friends with Kids](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1720616/)." The photo which shows raised welts and scars crisscrossing Peter's back became a pivotal image during the Civil War by exposing the brutality of slavery.

Emancipation, Will Smith's latest movie, is now streaming on Apple TV+, and we break down the film's ending, its true story origins, and story points.

Peter is given a choice to fight in the Union Army or go back to a farm, and His life has been filled with trauma, pain, torture, and fear, and it’s likely that he continued to seek out God because he needed something to hold onto in the darkest moments of his life. Where others have forsaken God, or don’t believe in the Almighty at all, Peter holds Jesus and the teachings of the Bible close to his heart. There are allegations, however, that the man in the photo and the man who escaped a plantation to join the Union Army are not one and the same, but historians generally agree that Gordon is the subject of both. Peter chose the latter because it at least offered him some dignity, and it gave him the opportunity to be an active participant in telling the population of enslaved people in Louisiana that they were free — that included his family. It’s possible the film didn’t include this because Peter had already faced so much hardship and didn’t want to add in another, especially so close to its ending.

The film, starring and produced by Will Smith, debuted on Apple TV+ on Dec. 9.

[Apple One](https://www.apple.com/apple-one/), which bundles Apple TV+ with up to five other services for one low price. Read on for details on how to stream the movie for free. That means you can stream Emancipation and anything else on the platform without paying anything up front. One of the images, “The Scourged Back,” captures the sheer brutality and inhumanity of slavery, showing Peter’s – whose real name was Gordon – welted back riddled with keloids from the severe beatings handed down by slave masters. “That’s unacceptable to me.” All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors.