“What can a mere man do to me? Peter (Will Smith) says to his family reassuring them with words of God in the opening section of the new trailer for Emancipation.
Peter, the character played by Smith – one of Hollywood’s highest-paid actors, is inspired by the real-life story of Gordon, a slave who escaped his brutal owners in the 1860s and joined the army of the Union during the American Civil War.
Gordon was also given the name “Whipped Peter” for the horrific scars on his back from the constant whippings he received during his slavery. The 1863 photograph of his back became one of the most powerful pieces of evidence of the atrocities committed on slaves and strengthened the abolitionist movement.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua, the trailer for the highly anticipated Apple TV+ film was released on November 16.
What we know of Emancipation so far
Emancipation Trailer Shows Peter Taking Big Risks
The Emancipation The trailer shows Peter putting his life on the line as he plans his escape through the swamps of a plantation in Louisiana. The other slaves aren’t so confident, but some of them are convinced to take the risk and join Peter in the escape.
Hounds are unleashed after them as slave hunters set off in pursuit. Peter is seen trying to get them off his trail by any means possible, including jumping into alligator-infested waters.
As the trailer progresses, Peter manages to join the Union Army but now he must return to the plantation to save his family.
“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, ever break me,” says Peter.
The monochrome trailer ends with a shot of a photographer taking a picture of his back, which bears the scars from the whippings he suffered.
Cast and crew Emancipation
Emancipation also features actors such as Ben Foster, Charmaine Bingwa, Mustafa Shakir, Timothy Hutton and Steven Ogg.
The story was written by William N. Collage. Fuqua, Chris Brigham, James Lassiter, Heather Washington, Cliff Roberts, Glen Basner and Scott Greenberg serve as executive producers. Todd Black of Escape Artists, Smith and Jon Mone of Westbrook Studios and Joey McFarland of McFarland Entertainment are the producers.
Emancipation will be released in theaters on December 2, 2022 and will be available to stream on Apple TV+ on December 9, 2022.
(Main and featured images: IMDb)
