Will Smith's lead role in the movie, 'Emancipation' was announced last year, directed by Antoine Fuqua. It's a thriller based on a true story about a slave. The filming was to begin in Georgia in early 2021, with an expected release date of 2022 or 2023. However, after an unfitting bill restricting voting rights was recently passed by the Governor of Georgia, the team behind the movie - including Smith - have backed out from production in the state.

Apple Studio's runaway-slave thriller changed its production plans and shooting location from Georgia after Governor Brain Kemp signed a bill restricting voting rights for all. This new passing of bill will be of a disadvantage to the minorities and the people of color especially, as it limits voting by mail and puts a restraint over how elections are generally run. As the movie addresses years of slavery, discrimination, racism and abuse - it does not seem fit to be filming in a state which still believes in such crimes. The new Georgia bill deems it illegal to help voters and to provide them with food and water. and it also demands for proof of identity. Even though Georgia is recognized for its infrastructure and how often it is used for production, with its skilled technicians and crew members, Will Smith and Antoine Fuqua are not willing to work on the project in said state.

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Earlier in a statement provided to Deadline, Smith and Fuqua expressed their concerns and disfavor of shooting in Georgia, saying they "cannot in good conscience provide economic support to a government that enacts regressive voting laws that are designed to restrict voters' access." Further on, they talked about their plans of moving production some place else. "Regrettably, we feel compelled to move our film production work from Georgia to another state," they said. Though some people believe that changing locations and moving from Georgia can do more harm than good, what with considering it can have a considerable effect on the budget, some protesters have asked to ban and boycott the production altogether.

Will Smith Portrays A Slave In Movie
Will Smith Portrays A Slave In Movie

Emancipation is about a slave, Whipped Peter, who ran way from a Louisiana plantation, to join the Union Army up north. The story is based on 'The Scourged Back,' a famous, well-known photograph from the Civil War-era which was taken in 1863, demonstrating what the person of color went through, and the amount of near-death beating he had to endure. This movie is sure to exhibit what slavery actually was, and how the practices of then are still rooted in the people of today.

Source: CNN

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