Toni Dimaano Culture 10.04.2022 04:Oct AM EDT

Will Smith Movie to Debut on Apple TV in December

"Emancipation'' finally got its debut date in theaters and on Apple TV after lead star Will Smith's controversy at the Oscars, which resulted in a ten-year ban.

Apple TV will be releasing Will Smith's drama about slavery called "Emancipation" in December, just in time for Oscar 2023 preparations, The Guardian reports.

Apple TV Officially Backs Smith's Historical Thriller

In 2020, Apple landed the rights to "Emancipation," which was about Peter, a man who ran away from slavery to return to his family in Louisiana and ends up joining the Union Army, The Verge writes.

Apple TV has released the first trailer for Antoine Fuqua's film along with the announcement that "Emancipation" will be in theaters on December 2, and on Apple TV a week after that.

According to The Guardian, "Emancipation," which was reported to have a $120 million budget, had been pushed back on the shelves after the actor's popularity plummeted when he slapped Comedian Chris Rock at the Oscars.

However, despite the issue surrounding its actor, "Emancipation" had a warm reception at its screening last night in Washington as part of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Legislative Conference.

The reception of "Emancipation" was largely positive and was influential in Apple's decision to put the film forward in contention for awards.

Meanwhile, people on Twitter are split on whether Smith should be welcomed back to the Oscars, says Yahoo Entertainment.

'Emancipation' Is More Just Than A Film About Slavery

In foresight, the movie is about an enslaved man named Peter, who desperately tries to escape death in the South swamps as he journeys to the North.

AV Club writes that the story of Peter, the real-life slave who posed for a photo in Harper's Weekly showing his scars, is a crucial piece in telling the compelling story about slavery at the time.

According to Entertainment Weekly, Derrick Johnson, NAACP head, says that this was a story of resilience in the midst of adversity and of love and triumph.

He added that he "can't begin to tell how powerful this is for OUR community and OUR history" to have a film like this existing.

Smith echoed his sentiment by saying that "Emancipation" was a film about Black love in such a way that it was about Black freedom, resilience, and faith.

The Guardian recalls how Smith previously said no to the lead in Django Unchained as he wanted to star in a film about slavery that "depict Black excellence" instead.

Fuqua thinks that "Emancipation" is his best movie as it is believed to be his strongest, most relevant, and important piece of work for the matter, Deadline writes.

Will Smith will compete amongst and against many current favorites for an Academy award, including stars like Brendan Fraser for The Whale and Colin Farrell for The Banshees of Inisherin.