*Hulu has released the official trailer for the highly anticipated documentary “Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told.”
As earlier reported, Jermaine Dupri and Uncle Luke teamed up to executive produce the project that chronicles the “rise and fall of a small Atlanta HBCU picnic that exploded into an influential street party and spotlighted ATL as a major cultural stage,” per Hulu’s description, as reported by Variety. “Can the magic of Freaknik be brought back 40 years later?”
The first Freaknik picnic was held in Atlanta in the mid-’80s for students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The Associated Press once denounced the event, citing “sexual assaults, violence against women, and public safety concerns.” The outlet even called on the Atlanta Committee for Black College Spring Break to publicly oppose the festival in 1998.
“We cannot support events that bring lewd activities, sexual assaults, violence against women, and public safety concerns, [as well as] firetrucks not being able to reach victims and ambulances not being able to reach hospitals in a timely manner,” committee Chairman George Hawthorne said at the time.
The festival evolved in the 1990s into what it is known for today, including dance contests, concerts, parties, sporting events, rap sessions, and job fairs.
Dupri and Uncle Luke serve as EP’s of the doc along with rapper 21 Savage, showrunner Geraldine L. Porras, and director P Frank Williams. Peter Bittenbender, Melissa Cooper for Mass Appeal, Eric Tomosunas for Swirl Films, Terry Ross, and Alex Avant. Nikki Byles and Jay Allen are reportedly producers of the project, per the release.
Here’s the official synopsis:
Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told is a celebratory exploration of the boisterous times of Freaknik, the iconic Atlanta street party that drew hundreds of thousands of people in the 80s and 90s, helping put Atlanta on the map culturally. What began as a Black college cookout, soon became known for lurid tales of highway hookups and legendary late-night parties that ultimately led to the festival’s downfall. At its height, Freaknik was a traffic stopping, city-shuttering, juggernaut that has since become a cult classic. Rooted deep in its history of Civil Rights, thriving Black leadership, and focus on the uplifting of Black culture and education, Atlanta became the only place a festival like this could grow and thrive. Though it ceased over two decades ago, the infamous legacy still resonates through nostalgia and a new generation’s longing for a care-free platform that celebrates and promotes Black excellence, joy and fortitude.
Featuring appearances by 21 Savage, Lil Jon, Killer Mike, Jalen Rose, Too $hort, Shanti Das, former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, Erick Sermon, CeeLo Green, Rico Wade, Kenny Burns and more, the film offers an intimate glimpse into an enduring legacy, while acknowledging the complexities it introduced into the social fabric and leaving an indelible mark on the cultural landscape of Atlanta and beyond.
“Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told” will premiere on Thursday, March 21, on Hulu. Watch the new trailer above.
READ MORE: Jermaine Dupri and Uncle Luke to Produce ‘Freaknik’ Documentary for Hulu
