Apple TV+ grabs rights to Will Smith’s Emancipation movie
It looks like Apple’s becoming increasingly invested in making original movies with the latest investment in Will Smith’s Emancipation.
Big stars, big pictures
Apple has apparently won an intense bidding war to take the movie, which will star Will Smith and be directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, Olympus Has Fallen, Shooter, The Equalizer, et al).
The company beat Warner Bros to the high price punch.
Black Lives Matter
Based on fact, the movie is about Peter, a runaway slave who manages to evade capture in Louisiana on a journey to join the Union Army to fight the evil forces of slavery.
Historically, a photo of the man’s back was so horrific for scars left by a near fatal whipping he endured at the hands of a plantation owner that it convinced many free Blacks to join the Union army.
The image helped solidify the case against slavery in 1860’s America. You can find out so much more regarding this shameful moment in history here.
Apple has already invested in movies including The Banker, with Samuel Jackson, and will soon screen Tom Hanks WWII movie, Greyhound.
Other big ticket items on the way include Sofia Copolla’s On the Rocks, Sundance documentary, Boys State and a TV series based on legendary Asimov sci-fi series, Foundation.
Please follow me on Twitter, or join me in the AppleHolic’s bar & grill and Apple Discussions groups on MeWe.
Dear reader, this is just to let you know that as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.