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Will Smith wants to ensure that anyone with Internet access can stream his passion project, Emancipation, for free on Apple TV+.
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The Antoine Fuqua-directed film, chronicling the harrowing freedom journey of a Black man who escaped slavery in Louisiana, premiered on the streaming platform on Friday (Dec. 9).
“I’ve been reading a lot of the comments and I see a lot of people saying they don’t have Apple TV+,” Smith said in an Instagram video posted Thursday. “That’s unacceptable to me.”
The 54-year-old actor reached out to Apple and secured a streaming deal for new and returning subscribers to watch the film for free.
Emancipation is inspired by a true story of “Peter,” best known from a series of photos taken by medical examiners in the Union Army in 1863. One of the images, “The Scourged Back,” captures the sheer brutality and inhumanity of slavery, showing Peter’s – whose real name was Gordon – welted back riddled with keloids from the severe beatings handed down by slave masters.
The images were published in Harper’s Weekly on July 4, 1863, and are said to have helped galvanize the abolitionist movement.
Ben Foster, Mustafa Shakir, Steven Ogg, Charmaine Bingwa, Imani Pullum, Michael Luwoye, Gilbert Owuor and Aaron Clifton Morris star in the film written by William N. Collage.
Producers include Smith, Jon Mone, Joey McFarland and Todd Black. Chris Brigham, Fuqua, James Lassiter, Heather Washington, Cliff Roberts, Glen Basner and Scott Greenberg are executive producers.
Emancipation made its theatrical debut on Dec. 2. Read on for details on how to stream the movie for free.
How to Watch ‘Emancipation’ for Free on Apple TV+
Right now, new and returning customers can enjoy a free trial to Apple TV+ for the first week. That means you can stream Emancipation and anything else on the platform without paying anything up front. To redeem Smith’s offer visit apple.co/willgift.
Apple TV+ is $6.99 a month after the free trial ends but there are multiple ways to save on your streaming bill and extend the free trial for up to a year.
For starters, subscribers can get Apple TV+ included free for three months with the purchase of an eligible Apple device or save with Apple One, which bundles Apple TV+ with up to five other services for one low price.
Apple TV+
$6.99/month after free 7-day trial
T-Mobile and Sprint offer a year free subscription to Apple TV+ with select wireless plans and Best Buy has a deal offering three months of free Apple TV+.
Enjoy Apple Originals such as Ted Lasso, The Morning Show, Severance, Carpoole Karaoke: The Series, The Problem with Jon Stewart, Bad Sisters, The Shrink Next Door, Pachinko, Central Park, They Call Me Magic and The Greatest Beer Run Ever, along with holiday releases like Spirited and A Charlie Brown Christmas and lots more on Apple TV+.
Watch the Emancipation trailer below.
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