In a surprise change to this year's awards season, Will Smith's next movie, "Emancipation," will be released in 2022 after all. Apple announced the news on Monday, releasing the first trailer for the Antoine Fuqua-directed historical drama. “Emancipation” opens in theaters on December 2 and will stream on Apple TV+ beginning December 9.
Although "Emancipation" had originally been set for a 2022 release date, Apple decided to push the film back to 2023 after Smith was embroiled in controversy for slapping Chris Rock onstage at the Academy Awards. The embattled actor has since publicly apologized for his actions, sharing an emotional video posted online in June, but has stayed out of the public eye since the Oscars.
For all intents and purposes, that initial lag has now been reversed. A few months ago, Apple was seen as a potentially formidable Oscar contender. After becoming the first streaming service to win best picture with “CODA,” the company was preparing to campaign for a list of hot titles this fall.
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Writer: Bill Collage
Stars: Will Smith, Ben Foster, Grant Harvey
However, summer premieres like Sundance favorite "Cha Cha Real Smooth" and Skydance Animation's "Luck" haven't kept up the momentum, Peter Farrelly's "The Greatest Beer Run Ever" was a critical flop at the Toronto cinema and Martin Scorsese's mega-budget western. “Killers of the Flower Moon” won't be ready until 2023.
With its list of prestige titles now relatively thin, "Emancipation" is seen as Apple's best chance to make an impact in the upcoming Oscar race. Written by Bill Collage and produced by Todd Black, Joey McFarland and Jon Mone, the film stars Smith as a fugitive who becomes known as "Whipper Peter" after photographs of keloid scars on his back are distributed to show the brutality of slavery. The film follows Smith's character as he navigates the swamps of Louisiana to escape plantation owners who nearly killed him.
Before Smith's altercation at the Oscars, the buzz surrounding "Emancipation" was largely positive, suggesting that the film and its star would be formidable contenders for the awards next season. Smith resigned from the Academy after the incident, while the institution's Board of Governors issued a 10-year ban barring the actor from attending the Oscars. However, the injunction does not prevent Smith from being nominated during this period.
Watch Emancipation 2022 Movie Trailer
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