The first official trailer for “The Woman King” starring Viola Davis has been released. The film, by Gina Prince-Bythewood set to premiere this fall, is a “historical epic” that is inspired by true events that happened in the Kingdom of Dahomey.
The action-packed trailer takes viewers right into the high-paced film, which as theGrio previously reported, “follows Nanisca (Davis), general of the all-female military unit, and her daughter Nawi, who together fought the French and neighboring tribes who violated their honor, enslaved their people and threatened to destroy everything they’ve lived for.”
The film also stars Lashana Lynch (“No Time To Die”), John Boyega (“Star Wars”) and Thuso Mbedu (“The Underground Railroad”).
“We must fight back for our people,” Davis exclaims to King Ghezo (Boyega) at the top of the trailer. When he questions sending his people into war, she says “some things are worth fighting for.”
Led by Nanisca, the King’s Guard begins to train for its biggest battle ever. Like a good commander, she tries to rally the troops. “No kingdom in all of Africa shares this privilege,” she tells them. “Train hard and fight harder. We fear no one and we fear no pain. We fight for our ancestors, we fight for the future.”
Ahead of the trailer premiere, Davis and Prince-Bythewood spoke with Vanity Fair about the project. Referring to the film as her magnum opus, Davis said, “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.”
Read the full Vanity Fair article here.
“The Woman King” premieres on Sept. 16 in theaters.
TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today!