Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Of 2025Holiday Watch GuideGotham AwardsCelebrity PhotosSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayMost popular celebsCelebrity news
    Help centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

Emperor

  • 2020
  • PG-13
  • 1h 39m
IMDb RATING
6.0/10
1.7K
YOUR RATING
Dayo Okeniyi in Emperor (2020)
Inspired by the true legend of Shields Green (Dayo Okeniyi) who, in 1859, escaped from a plantation and made a daring journey north where he met Frederick Douglass (Harry Lenix) and John Brown (James Cromwell). With the opportunity to continue to freedom in Canada, Green instead chose to fight to end slavery in the raid at Harper’s Ferry. Briarcliff Entertainment Presents, A Sobini Films Production in association with Hudlin Productions directed by Mark Amin and written by Pat Charles and Mark Amin.
Play trailer1:01
3 Videos
39 Photos
BiographyDramaHistoryWestern

An escaped slave travels north and has chance encounters with Frederick Douglass and John Brown. Based on the life story of Shields Green.An escaped slave travels north and has chance encounters with Frederick Douglass and John Brown. Based on the life story of Shields Green.An escaped slave travels north and has chance encounters with Frederick Douglass and John Brown. Based on the life story of Shields Green.

  • Director
    • Mark Amin
  • Writers
    • Pat Charles
    • Mark Amin
  • Stars
    • Dayo Okeniyi
    • M.C. Gainey
    • Antonio D Kanonu
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.0/10
    1.7K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Mark Amin
    • Writers
      • Pat Charles
      • Mark Amin
    • Stars
      • Dayo Okeniyi
      • M.C. Gainey
      • Antonio D Kanonu
    • 41User reviews
    • 7Critic reviews
    • 39Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 3 nominations total

    Videos3

    Trailer 2
    Trailer 1:01
    Trailer 2
    Emperor
    Trailer 1:40
    Emperor
    Emperor
    Trailer 1:40
    Emperor
    'Emperor' Star Kat Graham Was Inspired by This Hollywood Icon
    Video 3:46
    'Emperor' Star Kat Graham Was Inspired by This Hollywood Icon

    Photos39

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 34
    View Poster

    Top Cast80

    Edit
    Dayo Okeniyi
    Dayo Okeniyi
    • Shields Green
    M.C. Gainey
    M.C. Gainey
    • Randolph Stevens
    Antonio D Kanonu
    • Chain Gang
    James Cromwell
    James Cromwell
    • John Brown
    Bruce Dern
    Bruce Dern
    • Levi Coffin
    Ben Robson
    Ben Robson
    • Luke McCabe
    Kat Graham
    Kat Graham
    • Delores
    Nicholas Logan
    Nicholas Logan
    • Gunther Bowman
    Mykelti Williamson
    Mykelti Williamson
    • Truesdale
    James Le Gros
    James Le Gros
    • Robert E. Lee
    Paul Scheer
    Paul Scheer
    • Duvane Henderson
    Naturi Naughton
    Naturi Naughton
    • Sarah Green
    Harry Lennix
    Harry Lennix
    • Frederick Douglass
    Keean Johnson
    Keean Johnson
    • Rufus Kelly
    Brad Carter
    Brad Carter
    • Grady
    Kevin Wayne
    Kevin Wayne
    • Field Overseer
    Ben Aycrigg
    • Watson Brown
    Eric Goins
    Eric Goins
    • James Alcorn
    • (as Eric Lee Goins)
    • Director
      • Mark Amin
    • Writers
      • Pat Charles
      • Mark Amin
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews41

    6.01.7K
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    8OzMovieWatcher

    Absolutely brilliant !!

    This is a very well done movie with superb acting. I loved the story which did not venture too far from the factual history of the event.

    I found the movie authentic in representing this amazing piece oh History.
    5Tina_jeppesen

    I enjoyed it until....

    I went into this movie knowing nothing about it so of course I looked up the characters afterward. It's not at all historically accurate. Hollywood thinks we are morons & can't appreciate a true story to be inspiring or entertaining as is, or they're idiots & cant make it to be so without elaborating & fictionalizing. Disrespects the actual characters too imo.
    Ladybbird-269-945146

    Worst Movie of The Year

    Bad script, bad directing and dreadful acting.. Cant think of one good thing to write about on this load of rubbish
    6wpapac

    Historically inaccurate

    Great premise, poor history. Seems like another attempt at "Roots" with invented history, famous characters who may have never been involved. The emperor was hanged 2 weeks after Brown. Oops forgot that it of truth. The reality is good enough, no need to embellish. Remember few actually read history and take movies as historical truths. This dream history brings further discredit on true activities muddying the real history with falsehoods. Ok film. Accurate props.Brown fortified The firehouse, not the armory. Let true history speak, and you will get the same effect with the truth!
    5Horror_Flick_Fanatic

    Saturday afternoon action adventure film more than a serious history drama

    Feels like a Saturday afternoon action adventure revenge tv show instead of a historical drama. The film has pretty good cinematography, location, settings, wardrobe, and a good cast. But the writing is poor. It never digs deep into the main character and the then political situation of the time. All it does it name drops and ads cameos of historical figures. Unfortunately the film is mostly fluff and little substance. It really had a lot of missed potential.

    More like this

    All We Had
    6.0
    All We Had
    Kin
    5.8
    Kin
    Grace and Grit
    5.2
    Grace and Grit
    Guns of the Magnificent Seven
    5.8
    Guns of the Magnificent Seven
    Robinson Crusoe
    6.0
    Robinson Crusoe
    Executive Order
    6.6
    Executive Order
    Trees of Peace
    6.6
    Trees of Peace
    The Missing
    6.5
    The Missing
    Emperor
    6.5
    Emperor
    The Long Walk Home
    7.3
    The Long Walk Home
    Outlaw Johnny Black
    5.7
    Outlaw Johnny Black
    The Champion
    6.8
    The Champion

    Related interests

    Ben Kingsley, Rohini Hattangadi, and Geraldine James in Gandhi (1982)
    Biography
    Naomie Harris, Mahershala Ali, Janelle Monáe, André Holland, Herman Caheej McGloun, Edson Jean, Alex R. Hibbert, and Tanisha Cidel in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    Liam Neeson in Schindler's List (1993)
    History
    John Wayne and Harry Carey Jr. in The Searchers (1956)
    Western

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Emperor (2020) is the directorial debut of long-time producer Mark Amin. He is the founder and CEO of Sobini Films. In addition, Amin served as Vice Chairman of Lionsgate Entertainment.
    • Goofs
      Robert E. Lee led a company of Marines to retake Harper Ferry, with the battle occurring inside the town at a local fire house. The film shows Lee in command of an entire Army regiment and the troops attacking a large fort.
    • Quotes

      Shields Green: This man will never be a slave, yet he is willing to risk his life and the life of his sons.. so we can be free. No sir. I cannot sit idle while this man fights for me. We can't all fight this war with a pen Mr. Douglas. Some of us best equipped to fight this war with a gun. I think I'll go with the old man.

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    FAQ15

    • How long is Emperor?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 18, 2020 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Імператор
    • Filming locations
      • Fort Jackson, Savannah, Georgia, USA(Harper's Ferry)
    • Production companies
      • Envision Casting
      • Hudlin Entertainment
      • Sobini Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 39m(99 min)
    • Color
      • Color

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb App
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.