Witness the story of a man who defied impossible odds to change the course of his life and the fate of the nation in the action-packed drama EMPEROR. Inspired by a true legend, the thrilling film arrives on Digital, DVD and On Demand on August 18, 2020 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Based on the harrowing and inspirational journey of Shields Green, one of the many brave men in history, who risked his life to fight against the horrors of slavery and save his family, EMPEROR is a stirring account of an extraordinary uprising in the pre-Civil War South.

A captivating and emotional story of courage, EMPEROR is based on the iconic American freedom fighter and legend Shields “Emperor” Green (Dayo Okeniyi, Terminator Genisys, “Shades of Blue”) a descendant of African kings turned outlaw slave. The film tells the astonishing tale of Green’s escape from slavery and his transformation into one of America’s greatest heroes. Seeking freedom for his family, Emperor fights his way north, joining the daring raid on Harper’s Ferry, the key battle of the abolitionist movement which helped spark the beginning of the Civil War and alter the course of American history.

Okeniyi leads the cast with an exceptionally powerful performance as the titular character in EMPEROR, alongside Academy Award^® nominee James Cromwell (The Green Mile, “The Young Pope”), Kat Graham (“The Vampire Diaries”), Naturi Naughton (“Power”), Mykelti Williamson (Fences, Forrest Gump), Ben Robson (The Boy, “Vikings”) and Academy Award^® nominee Bruce Dern (Hateful Eight, Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood). Produced by Academy Award^®-nominated filmmaker Reginald Hudlin (The Black Godfather, Marshall, Django Unchained) along with fellow producers Mark Amin (Frida, Eve’s Bayou) and Cami Winikoff (Peaceful Warrior), EMPEROR is directed by Amin from a script by Pat Charles (“Black Lightning,” “Sons of Anarchy”) and Amin.

FILMMAKERS:
Cast: Dayo Okeniyi, Ben Robson, James Cromwell, Kat Graham, Keean Johnson, James Le Gros, Harry Lennix, Naturi Naughton, Mykelti Williamson and Bruce Dern
Costume Designer: Amy Andrews Harrell
Music Supervisor: Joel C. High
Music By: Javier Navarrete
Film Editor:  Asaf Eisenberg
Production Designer: Richard Hoover
Director of Photography: Jeremy Rouse, _ACS
Executive Producers: Tyler Boehm, Susan Kirr, Cassian Elwes
Produced by: Reginald Hudlin _p.g.a, Cami Winikoff_{, p.g.a}, Mark Amin, _p.g.a
Story By: Mark Amin
Screenplay By: Pat Charles & Mark Amin
Directed By: Mark Amin

TECHNICAL INFORMATION DVD:
Street Date: August 18, 2020
Selection Number: 37212538
Layers: DVD 9
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 2.39:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
Rating: Rated PG-13 for violence throughout, language including racial epithets, and some disturbing images
Languages/Sound: English Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, Latin American Spanish Subtitles
Run Time: 1:39:12