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Mustafa Shakir has always had a “hang up” about slave movies, so when his agent sent him the script for Antoine Fuqua’s “Emancipation” saying the casting director wanted him to read for Gordon, one of the slaves, it wasn’t a surprise that “the role didn’t resonate.”

But Shakir, best-known for his TV work, was surprised by the casting director’s response, which was to ask what role he’d like to play. “I said, ‘Other than Peter?’” he deadpans, referring to Will Smith’s lead role that dominates the film. “There’s this guy Andre Cailloux.”

Cailloux, who is probably worthy of his own film, was born a slave but earned his freedom in 1846, learned to read, found success as a boxer and became a respected New Orleans businessman and community leader. In “Emancipation,” Cailloux is a military captain, one of the first Blacks to lead a unit.

Will Smith and Ben Foster in “Emancipation,” now streaming on Apple TV+. Courtesy of Apple Studios

An unrecognizable Will Smith stars as an enslaved man in Civil War era Louisiana, who decides upon hearing about Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation to escape from a labor camp through the bayou in an attempt to reach Union forces in Baton Rouge, in Antoine Fuqua’s Emancipation. Will Smith’s character was inspired by a real person, the man with the heavily scarred back in the famous Civil War photo, who really did escape slavery to reach an Union encampment. The photo, known as “Whipped Peter” or “the Scourged Back,” was widely circulated during the Civil War and was instrumental in convincing Northerners of the truth of the brutality of slavery.

Emancipation is a true-story inspired tale of the Civil War South without the mint juleps and “Gone with the Wind” fantasy. As the film opens,...

Emancipation boasts an exemplary cast who bring the characters to life in a harrowing story. Directed by Antoine Fuqua, Emancipation marks Will Smith’s return to film following the controversy surrounding his highly publicized Oscars slap. Emancipation is based on a true story of an enslaved man who escaped to freedom and joined the Union army in 1863.

Emancipation was first announced in June 2020, and began filming a year later in 2021. The film was stuck for a while, with a proposed postponement potentially in the cards because of the controversy surrounding Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards. However, Emancipation’s release date was ultimately not affected very much, debuting in limited theaters December 2 before streaming on Apple TV+ December 9.

Related: Emancipation Review: Fuqua's Latest Historical Drama Is Gorgeous But Underbaked

Will Smith as Peter

Peter is a former slave who escapes after hearing that President Abraham Lincoln signed...

Will Smith is back in business sooner than expected with the action thriller “Emancipation,” as Apple Original Films has set the film for a Dec. 2 theatrical release, followed by a Dec. 9 release on Apple TV+.

Though “Emancipation” had originally been set for a 2022 release date, Apple delayed the film to 2023. Now that delay has been reversed, making this film a potential Oscar contender.

The teaser shows Smith as Peter, a slave who escapes from a Lousiana plantation after being whipped nearly to death. The film follows Peter on his journey to freedom, as he outwits his hunters and makes his way north, where he joins the Union Army. The film is based on the true story of “Whipped Peter,” after photos of his bare back, which was mutilated by a whipping, were published in 1863, revealing the brutality of slavery.

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