Watch Will Smith in new trailer for 'Emancipation'
The full trailer to "Emancipation," the upcoming Antoine Fuqua-directed slavery drama starring Will Smith, has arrived.
In the film, the Oscar-winning "King Richard" actor plays Peter, an enslaved man who learns Lincoln has freed them, only to remain in chains in the Deep South.
In the newly released trailer, actor Ben Foster's slaver Fassel tells his captives, "You walk the earth because I let you. I'm your god now."
Peter launches a plan to escape and undertakes a perilous journey through the deadly swamps, bound for Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and the Union Army's front lines -- with his captors on his heels.
Eventually, he takes up arms and returns to rescue the family he left behind.
The story was inspired by the 1863 photos of "Whipped Peter," which first appeared in "Harper's Weekly" after being taken during a Union Army medical examination. The graphic image of the man's heavily scarred back contributed to the growing public opposition to slavery. The historic moment when the photo was snapped is recreated in the film and shown in the trailer.
Smith's character says, "They whip me. They break the bones in my body more times than I can count," before adding defiantly, "But they never, never break me."
The film is Smith's first acting role since the 2022 Oscars, during which he slapped host Chris Rock onstage after Rock made a joke about Smith's wife Jada Pinkett Smith. The incident, for which Smith has since apologized, resulted in the academy banning the actor from attending any academy event or program, including the Oscars, for 10 years.
"Emancipation" debuts in U.S. theaters on Dec. 2 and hits Apple TV+ a week later on Dec. 9.
