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'Emancipation' producer Joey McFarland SLAMMED for having original picture of 'Whipped Peter' during premiere

McFarland noted that he had the original photo so that he can donate it for 'educational purposes' when he dies

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Academy Award-winning actor Will Smith made a return to the red carpet after the star and the entire cast of ‘Emancipation’ attended the film’s premiere in Los Angeles on Wednesday, November 30. The Apple TV+ movie is inspired by a photo that was taken in 1863 and featured a slave that had brutal injury marks on his back. Although everyone knows that the movie is based on a very sensitive topic, the movie’s producer took things to a whole new level by bringing the aforementioned photo at the world premiere of the movie.

The film’s producer, Joey McFarland, walked the red carpet with an image of ‘Whipped Peter’ that inspired the movie and made the internet very angry for having the photo with him. The movie sees Smith playing the character of Peter, who is brutally whipped while he is held as a slave on a Louisiana plantation, and decides to take a chance in escaping the plantation. The film shows Peter’s struggles to outsmart the guards so that he can make his way to the North and join the Union Army.

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While talking to Variety, McFarland revealed that he has the original photo of Whipped Peter with him “right now”. During the conversation, he noted that he wanted Peter to be a part of this premiere and wanted a “piece” of Peter to be present at the premiere. He added, “I have the photo, this is the original photograph from 1863. I wanted a piece of Peter to be here tonight.”

McFarland also made it clear that he has collected this photo so that he can ‘donate’ the picture “for educational purposes” after he dies. “My love of history, my love of truth, my love of larger-than-life individuals that had an impact on not just some people's lives but the world, it's worth fighting for, it's worth preserving,” McFarland told Variety.

However, the internet didn’t like McFarland holding that photo at the premiere and called him out for owning the original picture. One of the social media users said, “I genuinely hope @JoeyMcFarland realizes how utterly inappropriate this is. I won't hold my breath but wtf are you doing with this picture in your pocket? Please make better life choices.” Another social media user wrote, “Oh my god. Joey McFarland THIS IS NOT YOURS TO OWN OR HAVE A PIECE OF. And do some goddamn self-reflection after you return it because this is beyond disgusting.”

“Photographs of anti-Black violence are not a collector's item to show off. It is grossly inappropriate and Joey McFarland should donate the artifacts he "collected" to the National Museum of African American History and Culture before the end of his lifetime,” tweeted another user.

“There is no reason for Joey McFarland to own that photo of "Peter Gordon" walking around the premiere of Emancipation taking it out for show and tell. Performative allyship because wtf does that do for that man?! White people will get real white on you sometimes,” wrote on Twitter.

The first wave of reactions poured in after the premiere and it seems Will Smith has once again given a stunning performance as Peter. However, the movie has received mixed reviews from critics for having a “shallow” screenplay.

The film also stars Ben Foster, Charmaine Bingwa, Gilbert Owuor, and Mustafa Shakir in pivotal roles.

‘Emancipation’ is scheduled to hit theatres on Friday, December 2, 2022, and will be available for streaming on Apple TV+ on December 9.