2 Jul – Here's to Will Smith's "Emancipation", which recently made history with its record-breaking acquisition deal. In what is dubbed as the largest film festival acquisition deal in film history, Apple Studios has won the bidding war for worldwide rights to the Will Smith-starrer, according to Deadline. To be directed by Antoine Fuqua, the action thriller is based on the historical accounts of runaway slave Peter, who escaped his abusive owners and flee to the North to join the Union Army during the 19th century.