Viola Davis has announced today that she will star in The Woman King, an upcoming historical drama by Sony Pictures. Davis has previously appeared as Amanda Waller in Suicide Squad (2016), The Suicide Squad (2021), and Peacemaker (2022). Still, a newly released trailer for The Woman King shows her in a role unlike any she’s held before.
According to the trailer, which dropped today, The Woman King will tell the true story of the Agojie (or the Amazons), an all-female military unit in the West African Kingdom of Dahomey, or present-day Benin. The new The Woman King trailer shows Viola Davis as Nanisca, general of the Agojie, as she advises the king of Dahomey in the midst of a European invasion during the age of colonization. A fierce warrior and leader, Nanisca is shown trying to convince King Ghezo (John Boyega) to fight back against European oppression while training Nawi (Thuso Mbedu), a new Agojie recruit. Jayme Lawson, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim, Adrienne Warren, Masali Baduza, Jimmy Odukoya, Makgotso M, Jordan Bolger, and Angélique Kidjo will also star.
Viola Davis and Gina Prince-Bythewood on the Weight Behind ‘The Woman King’
According to Variety, the real-life story of the Agojie was the inspiration behind the Dora Milaje, the all-female military unit in Black Panther. Still, the actual story of the Agojie has never been told on-screen until now. Davis has reported that to prepare for her role in The Woman King, she – and many of her co-stars – have had to undergo rigorous physical training, including weightlifting, martial arts, and weapons training with a machete, like the ones used in the new trailer.
Regarding her new role in The Woman King, Viola Davis spoke to Vanity Fair:
“I’ve never had a role like this before. It’s transformative. And to be a producer on it, and to know that I had a hand in bringing it to fruition…. There’s always a vision you have for your career, but there are very few roles as an actress of color. Dark skin with a wide nose and big lips. I’m just gonna continue to say it. Those stories are extraordinarily limited.”
Davis and The Woman King director Gina Prince-Bythewood (The Old Guard) also revealed the amount of responsibility the movie carries, based on real-life events and centering around ideas of Black freedom, which are still relevant today. Prince-Bythewood told Vanity Fair that she “takes that responsibility very seriously” and wants to tell a story about “women who killed… [but] also laughed and loved and cried.”
The first trailer for The Woman King is available below.
The Woman King, directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood and produced by Viola Davis, Cathy Schulman, Julius Tennon, and Maria Bello, is slated to be released in theaters on September 16th, 2022.