Having been somewhat absent from our screens in a sort of Hollywood exile after the notorious Oscar slap that electrified the internet, Will Smith is returning with a vengeance in the forthcoming drama/thriller Emancipation, which marks Smith’s first lead role since his Academy Award for Best Actor in King Richard.
In a refreshing change of pace, the first official teaser for the upcoming historical opus has finally been released, proving that Smith has been doing some outstanding Acting with a capital “A.” Based on the premise, alongside the footage shown in the teaser, Smith’s most recent performance is certain to become Apple TV’s biggest movie release of 2022.
Smith stars as Peter, a runaway enslaved African husband and father, and the teaser for Emancipation shows him forging ahead towards potential freedom through the swamps of Louisiana, in an arduous journey to escape the violent plantation owners. The A-list casting in Emancipation also includes Ben Foster as Fassel, and Grant Harvey as Leeds, although no further information has been revealed regarding these characters just yet.
The film is directed by Antoine Fuqua, who proudly proclaims Emancipation is his best work yet — albeit admitting that Smith’s involvement in the project was affected by the controversy surrounding the Oscars incident. Regardless, Smith’s work is expected to speak for itself, and seems poised to live up to the hype, so that he may finally be welcomed back to mainstream media come Academy Awards season.
Emancipation is expected to be released by Apple TV+ on Dec. 9.