Details

Release year: 2020

Storyline

An escaped slave travels north and has chance encounters with Frederick Douglass and John Brown. Based on the life story of Shields Green.

Top credits

Directors

Mark Amin

Writers

Cast

James Cromwell — John Brown
Ben Robson — Luke McCabe
James Le Gros — Robert E. Lee
Bruce Dern — Levi Coffin

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Did you know

• Shields Green did not escape from the raid on Harper's Ferry. He was captured, tried, and convicted along with John Brown for treason against Virginia, murder, and inciting a slave insurrection, and hanged two weeks after Brown. There is no evidence that Green saw his son again after he left South Carolina, nor that his son wrote a book about him. While the fact that he had a son is documented, that he had "sons" is not. The names of his wife and son are unknown.

• Emperor (2020) is the directorial debut of long-time producer Mark Amin. He is the founder and CEO of Sobini Films. In addition, Amin served as Vice Chairman of Lionsgate Entertainment.

• The film's release was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the film was instead released on DVD, digital and video on demand on August 18, 2020 by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.