Will Smith's Emancipation could still see a 2022 premiere
The drama has been delayed but could still come out this year.
![Apple TV+ Logo](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/3N5xBuGYefGYGHLwYg3Tr8-320-80.jpg)
Emancipation, a new drama film starring Will Smith, was delayed after the actor's actions at the 2022 Academy Awards. Despite the delay, a new report says that the film could still be released this year.
According to a new report from Deadline, Emancipation could still release on Apple TV+ later this year or early 2023. Sources told the outlet that the film is already complete and has been tested with select audiences with "very high scores."
If the film does make its debut this or next year, it's unclear what Smith might do when it comes to awards season. The actor has been banned by the Academy for a decade, so it's unclear what Smith would do as both actor and producer for the picture.
What is Emancipation about?
Emancipation stars Smith as Peter, a slave who escapes to the north and joins the Union Army:
In the Antoine Fuqua-directed William N. Collage-scripted drama, Smith plays Peter. He is an enslaved man and the film is an Apocalypto-style thriller about his harrowing escapes to freedom through the swamps of Louisiana. When Peter reaches the North, he joined the Union Army. During his physical, doctors were shocked when he removed his shirt and bore the scars from a near fatal beating on his back. They took photographs and those ran in newspapers across the world. They provided a gruesome testament to the barbarity and cruelty of slavery in the antebellum South.
The movie is directed by Antoine Fuqua (The Magnificent Seven, Shooter). According to the report, audiences have said that Emancipation is "the best film director Antoine Fuqua has made since Training Day."
It's still unknown when Killers of the Flower Moon will premiere on Apple TV+. If you want to ensure you enjoy it in the best quality when it does, check out our list of the Best TVs for Apple TV 2021 and our review of the Apple TV 4K.
Master your iPhone in minutes
iMore offers spot-on advice and guidance from our team of experts, with decades of Apple device experience to lean on. Learn more with iMore!
The new Apple TV 4K features a new processor, support for higher frame rates, and the new Siri Remote.
Joe Wituschek is a Contributor at iMore. With over ten years in the technology industry, one of them being at Apple, Joe now covers the company for the website. In addition to covering breaking news, Joe also writes editorials and reviews for a range of products. He fell in love with Apple products when he got an iPod nano for Christmas almost twenty years ago. Despite being considered a "heavy" user, he has always preferred the consumer-focused products like the MacBook Air, iPad mini, and iPhone 13 mini. He will fight to the death to keep a mini iPhone in the lineup. In his free time, Joe enjoys video games, movies, photography, running, and basically everything outdoors.