On Saturday night, Apple Unique Movies showed Emancipation to a group of influential people in
Washington, D.C. Antoine Fuqua directed the period drama/survival epic based on real events.

When it was presented at the Cannes Film Market in 2020, it sparked a bidding war between Warner
Bros., Common, MGM, and Lionsgate. Apple prevailed in the end, and with an A-lister taking the role of
an escaped slave known as Whipped Peter and preventing his escape from the Louisiana swamp, it
appeared that they were a strong contender for awards and a lot of public interest.
Apple clearly acknowledges that they are working with a huge film. This aspect, which was initially shot
with this year’s awards season in mind, remains a question mark until they actually release it.

Smith stated in his initial review of the film that he had never been interested in slave stories
throughout his entire career. Smith instructed the group, “This is not a movie about slavery”
The film is about freedom.