‘Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told’ Trailer Revealed
A portal to the past is opened in the trailer for Hulu’s anticipated Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told documentary. Released on Thursday (Feb. 29), the clip gives a preview of the stories to be explored in the comprehensive film.
Produced by Jay Allen and Nikki Byles for Swirl Films, the documentary is a joint effort with the production company and Mass Appeal. Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told is also executive produced by Luther “Uncle Luke” Campbell, Jermaine Dupri, and 21 Savage.
“Jermaine Dupri was the soundtrack of what was happening in the streets, during Freaknik,” explained Allen in a statement to VIBE.
Freaknik was established in the mid-’80s in Atlanta as a small picnic-style event during the spring break season for students of local Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) who remained in the Georgia city, as others ventured elsewhere for the week off.
“We have the actual DC Metro Club in the doc. They’re the inventors of it. You can’t tell the story without them. You can always see talent and people, but you never get to see the creators of Freaknik in one room,” explained Byles.
As the event evolved, it became known for inviting dance competitions, concerts, parties, sporting events, rap sessions, job fairs, and more.
Open container violations were not enforced during the Freaknik celebration downtown, as partiers drove down Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in downtown Atlanta near Underground, April 23, 1994. A security officer directs traffic.
(AP Photo/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Marlene Karas MARIETTA DAILY OUT; GWINNETT DAILY POST OUT; LOCAL BROADCAST OUT (WXIA, WGCL, Fox 5
According to the official description, the non-fiction work “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.”
The need for Freaknik dissolved as the event also became a hub for sexual assault and violent behavior. By 1998, the Atlanta Committee for Black College Spring Break proposed the city should no longer welcome Freaknik, citing “sexual assaults, violence against women, and public safety concerns,” an element that the creators of the documentary promise not to gloss over.
“This is the highs and the lows of Freaknik,” explained showrunner and executive producer Geraldine L. Porras to Variety. “We wanted this to be something that was celebratory, but we also didn’t want to shy away from the darker sides. All of these things can exist in the same place so we wanted to make sure we included that.”
Darrian Malone of Newark NJ taunts Mary Strickland of Greenville, S.C. with a snake on Peachtree St. near Marietta St. as part of the Freaknik cruising prior to the closing down of Peachtree.
Rich Addicks /Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP T; MARIETTA DAILY OUT; GWINNETT DAILY POST OUT; WXIA-TV OUT; WGCL-TV OUT
Commentary in Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told is presented 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.
Subjects include Luther “Uncle Luke” Campbell, Jermaine Dupri, 21 Savage, Lil Jon, CeeLo Green, Too $hort, Killer Mike, Kenny Burns, Rasheeda, Jalen Rose, Shanti Das, Marc Lamont Hill, Sharon Toomer, Amadi Boon, Tony Towns and more.
Additional executive producers credited on the feature are Terry “TR” Ross, Melissa Cooper, Alex Avant, Tresa Sanders, and P. Frank Williams. Williams also serves as director. Eric Tomosunas executive produces for Swirl Films and Peter Bittenbender executive producer for Mass Appeal.
Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told premieres on Hulu on March 21 after debuting at South By Southwest on March 12. Take a look at the trailer above.
