Movies

Release date, trailer, Q&A with director Antoine Fuqua – Deadline

October 3, 2022

Apple Original Films dated escape from slavery thriller Emancipation for a theatrical opening on December 2, followed by a December 9 release on its Apple TV+ streaming site. This follows the film’s DC premiere on Saturday, with star Will Smith and director Antoine Fuqua (who flew in from Italy, where he and Denzel Washington are filming a third Equalizer film) discussed the factual film during a screening orchestrated by Apple and the NAACP at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s legislative conference.

There has been a lot of speculation – and misreporting – as Apple and its filmmakers plotted exactly what to do with a meaningful film whose status as an awards season favorite changed the moment Smith slapped presenter Chris Rock. at the last Oscars, after the comic disparaged his wife with a joke about her hair. Smith, who soon after won the Academy Award for Best Actor, and although the Academy allowed him an acceptance speech, it then banned Smith for a decade for a terrible personal act in the worst possible place.

Apple chiefs Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht just picked up the streamer’s first Best Picture win on CODAand they knew another award-winning caliber movie The Moonflower Slayers would not be ready this year and was heading for a premiere at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. There are good reasons but Emancipation now, a possible backlash be damned. They stepped up.

Deadline unveils the first trailer for the film here (watch it above), as well as the first interview with Fuqua. We’ve been talking about this for a while Emancipation is the best movie he’s made in his long career, but his Oscar hopes could be dashed by The Slap, just like Mel Gibson’s terrific survival tale apocalypto done years ago. Here, Fuqua describes the steps that were taken to determine the film’s release, the adversity of its making, and his hopes for the film.

DEADLINE: How does it feel to finally show Emancipation to an audience that genuinely cares about the film’s central historical issues?

ANTOINE FUQUA: It was amazing. It was really the first time we had experienced it with a full movie and an audience. To see people reacting and gasping and talking and commenting on things that were happening in the movie, really all the things that you hope your movie would do for an audience. It moved them, entertained them. We had a great conversation on the subject which was important to them. So yeah, it was pretty amazing.

DEADLINE: What are some of the things that resonated, that struck you when you read the script and committed to Will Smith at the time?

FUQUA: One thing, when I first read the script, I was inspired. For me, as a director, making a film about slavery is intimidating. Because you want to do it right and I want it to be as truthful and authentic as possible. What I found was that it was very inspiring for people. The image of Peter from 1863 inspired me to want to do the movie and inspired Will to want to do the movie. It seemed to inspire the audience the same way; they clapped and clapped afterwards. This is the thing that touched me the most.

DEADLINE: Emancipation might have come in at the top of awards season if the unfortunate events of last night’s Oscars hadn’t happened. Can you share a bit of the talk that took place after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock after he made that joke about Jada Pinkett-Smith’s hair, and the back and forth on whether to wait or get the movie this year?

FOUQUA: Really, I was always saying that as a filmmaker you want your work to get out there, especially something that important. It was Apple, behind the scenes, they were pushing that too, trying to navigate the waters. They never stopped talking about the movie’s release and the best strategic moment. Apple called me often, along with Will, and I have to say Apple was amazing throughout this movie. We moved from Georgia to Louisiana, and they never blinked. We’ve weathered hurricanes, Covid, all those things.

DEADLINE: What was the impact of the hurricane on your production?

FUQUA: It was the hardest film I have ever made. We had been down for a little over a month. Pretty much every place we had was wiped out. We had to re-scout for locations. I was in Louisiana, I had to go to Baton Rouge, and the places I had fallen in love with were no longer there, or were impossible to reach. The people on set, the crew, who worked on the film from Louisiana, some of them were homeless and trying to figure out where they were going to stay when we got back. Again, Apple stepped in to help people, but it was difficult. I had never experienced anything like this before, it was scary to be there. When we came back, we were still dealing with a town that was getting back on its feet. We were always faced with places that we couldn’t get to or that would just take longer to reach. The heat didn’t help and we had to film in the swamps. So going back to the swamps was sometimes dangerous, but it’s funny. The new locations we found and the others we decided to shoot in were actually better for the film. They were harsh and gave a reality that the people who lived there at that time had to survive.

DEADLINE: What is it, taking a Hollywood superstar and dropping her in a real swamp? Close calls with snakes, alligators? How do you make him feel comfortable and not terrified?

FUQUA: We did everything we could, with alligator wrestlers, snake wrestlers, wolf spiders and so on. I had some of my Navy SEAL buddies there, to protect everyone. To Will’s credit, I remember one of the first days we were filming, and there’s a time when he has to run through the swamp. I think we might have to replace the shot, because you know, there are alligators there. I describe it to Will, and he says, OK, that’s what I’m doing. Let’s go. I thought, OK, he’s in. And he did. Occasionally.

DEADLINE: I remember we met after you came back from The Magnificent Sevenand a sudden flash flood washed away some of your sets.

FUQUA: Maybe I have amnesia and still feel the pain. There we experienced heavy rain and heat, but not a hurricane. Here there was no cover, because it was an outdoor adventure. Shooting in a Confederate camp, with very little coverage. So we had to be outside and there were times when we had to shut down for hours just to let people cool off. Apple brought ice vests, to try to keep people cool, but it was almost unbearable. We had a tornado, a hurricane. And covid. More than 300 people, sometimes 600 doing battle scenes, and who could not get out of their cars until they had been tested for Covid. Me and Bob Richardson the DP, Will, we were standing on set, and we had to wait. We watch the sun go down and we knew we only had a while to get what we needed. This put a lot of pressure on the production.

DEADLINE: After the Oscar slap, Will was banned for a decade by the Academy. I can imagine how much he regrets spoiling what should have been a triumphant night for him. Your reaction to the position Will has imposed on this film and all the people who have persevered in these difficult conditions and adversity?

FUQUA: [pauses]…Will Smith is a great guy. I was with him for a few years to make this film. He’s a wonderful person, an incredible partner, and he did an incredible job on this film. Chris Rock is a good guy, I know Chris too…and I pray it works out for them as friends, and we can move on.

DEADLINE: When we first revealed this film and the auction, the horrific video of George Floyd’s death was fresh in our minds. Now, because a movie is coming back, we think of those shocking photos of Emmett Till’s beaten body, and there’s the Rodney King video and footage of the violence in Selma’s march. Pictures can convey much more than words. Photos of Peter’s flogged back taken when he joined the Union Army have gone viral. In terms of higher meaning in a movie like this which is basically a survival story, what would you say?

FUQUA: We need to know the truth to begin healing. We have a lot of healing to do here, but if we can watch the film with open hearts and minds, and have a real conversation about the ugly brutality and reality of slavery, it could help with the healing. I think it’s important for people to see this.

DEADLINE: From Training Day to many others, you have made excellent films. How does this compare to what you’ve built as a filmmaker?

FUQUA: I see a lot of maturity in the work. My best movie? I said when I finished it was my strongest work and I can definitely say it’s my most important film. I’ll leave it up to everyone to judge, but I feel there’s a lot of growth in the work.

DEADLINE: And Will Smith?

FUQUA: Will is on a whole other level, in this film. Unbelievable.