Ben Foster, Charmaine Bingwa, Gilbert Owuor and Mustafa Shakir will join the cast alongside Will Smith in “Emancipation,” the story of the search for freedom directed by Antoine Fuqua for Apple Studios.
Smith plays Peter, a man escaping slavery, relying on his wits, unwavering faith, and deep love for his family to evade cold-blooded hunters and the relentless swamps of Louisiana during his quest for freedom.
Foster plays Fassel, who doggedly pursues any slave seeking freedom, including Peter. Bingwa plays the role of Dodienne, Peter’s wife, and Owuor plays Gordon, an enslaved man who works in the same camp as Peter. Shakir plays Cailloux, a free black man who serves in the Union Army.
The film, shot in Louisiana, is inspired by the 1863 photos of “Whipped Peter,” taken during a Union Army medical exam and first appearing in Harper’s Weekly. One image, known as “The Whipped Back”, shows Peter’s bare back mutilated by welts caused by the constant whipping of his enslavers.
At the time, that image contributed to growing public opposition to slavery.
Foster is represented by UTA. Bingwa is represented by Artists First, UTA, and Smith & Macdonald Creative.
Owuor is represented by D2 Management and Innovative Artists. Shakir is represented by The Gersh Agency and Robyn Bluestone Management.
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