Will Smith’s ‘Emancipation’ To Release in Time for Oscars Consideration, Despite Slap-Gate

If there’s anything Don’t Worry Darling taught us, it’s that sometimes bad press is good press. Despite sources speculating that Will Smith‘s Emancipation will be delayed to 2023 due to the Slap-Gate controversy, the film is proceeding normally. Today (Oct. 3), the thriller released its first trailer and set its theatrical release date for December 2, followed by its Apple TV+ streaming release on December 9.

Directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by William N. Collage, Emancipation tells the story of an escaped slave, Peter (Smith), as he journeys to the North from a Louisiana plantation to join the Union Army. In the trailer, Peter says, “I will not be afraid. What can a mere man do to me?” as he endures a dangerous 5-day journey through the woods and the swamp, deterring bloodhounds, capturers, and other violent threats.

The film had its world premiere Oct. 1 in Washington, D.C., hosted by Apple and the NAACP during the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s 51st Annual Legislative Conference, and was followed with a Q&A featuring Smith, Fuqua, and Smithsonian curator Mary Elliott. Billboard reports that Smith said, “Throughout my career, I’ve turned down many films that were set in slavery, I never wanted to show us like that. And then this picture came along. And this is not a film about slavery. This is a film about freedom. This is a film about resilience. This is a film about faith.”

He added, “This is a film about the heart of a man — what could be called the first viral image. Cameras had just been created, and the image of whipped Peter went around the world. It was a rallying cry against slavery, and this was a story that exploded and blossomed in my heart that I wanted to be able to deliver to you in a way that only Antoine Fuqua could deliver.”

The film is inspired by the real-life story of Gordon, a slave who escaped to join the Union Army shortly after the Emancipation Proclamation passed, allowing freed slaves to enlist. During his service, he was kidnapped by Confederates and tortured. Gordon rose to popularity after top magazines like Harper’s Weekly and The Independent begin circulating images of the scars on his back from slave whippings.

Emancipation received increased attention following Smith’s unforgotten controversy at the 94th Academy Awards where Smith slapped Chris Rock after he made a comment about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head. As a result, Smith resigned from the Academy, writing, “I am heartbroken. I want to put the focus back on those who deserve attention for their achievements and allow the Academy to get back to the incredible work it does to support creativity and artistry in film.” The Academy responded by banning Smith from Oscars-related events for 10 years, beginning April 2022.

It was suggested that, as result of the slap, Emanicpation’s release would be delayed to avoid bad press, with Variety calling it an “unspoken truth” that Apple “​​is planning to delay the film’s release to sometime in 2023.”

But with its all-star cast and thrilling story – and the diminished interested in “Slap-Gate” commentary -, Emancipation is shaping itself to be Apple TV+’s next big award contender, following the success of CODA, which took home three awards at this year’s Oscars, and along with the television successes of Ted Lasso and Severance. Also, the gossipy, yet successful, release of Don’t Worry Darling suggests that maybe, bad press does work in favor for a new film.

The streamer’s original films Cha Cha Real Smooth and The Greatest Beer Run Ever are also competing for Oscars gold, with Cha Cha winning over crowds at its 2022 Sundance Film Festival and SXSW premieres, along with an 86% approval rate on Rotten Tomatoes, and The Greatest Beer Run Ever receiving less acclaim, but cementing itself as Peter Farrelly’s follow-up to the polarizing, Oscar-Award winning film Green Book.