Apple TV+
Just months after his Oscar win for Best Actor in King Richard—the only thing of note that happened that night, I’m pretty sure—Will Smith is back in the new trailer for the Apple TV+ epic, Emancipation.
The film, which was inspired by true events, follows an enslaved man named Peter in the mid-19th century. Peter sets out on an imperiled journey through the swamps of Louisiana to escape from the plantation owners who have nearly killed him. Intent on reuniting with his family at any cost, heis willing to risk facing the natural horrors of the Baton Rouge swampland if it means he never has to return to his brutal life on the plantation.
After hearing tell of the Union Army freeing slaves during the Civil War, Peter’s mind is set. “We must get to Lincoln’s army,” Peter says in voiceover. “Five days, through the swamp…I will not be afraid. What can a mere man do to me?” Moments later, the teaser quickly glimpses the trials that await Peter flash before us. Alligators, bloodhounds, and all of the evils of humanity attempting to chase him down.