On Saturday, Apple held their first showing of Emancipation starring Will Smith. The thriller is directed by Antoine Fuqua and follows the life of an enslaved man (played by Will Smith) that escapes through the swamps of Louisana after recovering from a horrific whipping that almost killed him. 

The script was written by Willian N. Collage, after being inspired by 1863 photographs. The photos feature Peter, a formerly enslaved man that joined the Union Army with aspirations of finding his family. 

Apple Orginal Films and the NAACP hosted the screening in Washington D.C for a group of community members, including members from the Congressional Black Caucus, Historically Black College and Universities, the Divine 9 (Historically Black Fraternities and Sororities), National Council of Negro Women, and other important leaders in the African American community. 

Will Smith fans and critics are waiting for his next movie after his events from earlier this year. This project will be Will Smith’s first after slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars. Because of this, the rollout of the movie has met its challenges, and the release date has not been released. 

The film is projected to premiere during next year’s award season. This is not the only project that seems to be put on hold after the incident. Netflix has reportedly canceled a sequel to his 2017 movie Bright. It has also been reported that he has a separate Netflix and Sony movie deal that has been put on hold.