‘Emancipation’ Trailer: Will Smith Flees Brutal Enslavers In Antoine Fuqua’s Harrowing Drama
By Erik Pedersen
November 16, 2022
“Give thanks to God,” Peter tells his family. “The Lord is with us. What can a mere man do to me?”
That’s the first line in the trailer for Emancipation, Antoine Fuqua’s gripping drama starring Will Smith as the enslaved Peter. Cut to a shot of him being wheeled away in a cage — then to a chilling line delivered by Fassel (Ben Foster): “You walk the earth because I let you. I’m your god now.”
Watch the trailer above.
The film follows Peter (Smith), a man who escapes from slavery, relying on his wits, unwavering faith and deep love for his family to evade cold-blooded hunters and the unforgiving swamps of Louisiana on his quest for freedom. It is inspired by the 1863 photos of “Whipped Peter,” taken during a Union Army medical examination, that first appeared in Harper’s Weekly. One image, known as “The Scourged Back,” which shows Peter’s bare back mutilated by a whipping delivered by his enslavers, ultimately contributed to growing public opposition to slavery.
“He’s persistent, you know what I mean?” Fassel admits. “Hidin’, survivin’.”
The trailer shows Peter on the run, ducking bullets, battling alligators and ultimately joining the Union ranks. During a harrowing montage of battle, torture and survival scenes, he says: “I fight them. They beat me. They whip me. They break the bones in my body more times than I can count. But they never, never break me.”
Apple beat out six other suitors to acquire Emancipation ahead of the virtual Cannes in 2020. The largest film festival acquisition deal in history, it exceeded $120 million when backend gross buyouts are factored in. Scripted by William N. Collage, the film from Westbrook Studios, McFarland Entertainment and Escape Artists hits theaters December 2 and will start streaming globally a week later on Apple TV+.