Viola Davis looks fully prepared and ready for a ferocious battle in a brand-new image from the upcoming historical epic,The Woman King. The critically acclaimed actress stars as Nanisca, a general of the Dahomey Amazons or Mino - an all-female regiment located in the Kingdom of Dahomey in West Africa.
The highly anticipatedSonyfilm is inspired and based on a story by actor Maria Bello and written by Dana Stevens and Gina Prince-Bythewood. The drama is also based on the actual events that occurred during the Kingdom of Dahomey, an empire that reigned in the 18th and 19th centuries in the present day of Benin.The Woman Kingfollows Nanisca and her young recruit Nawi, who is portrayed byThe Underground Railroadstar Thuso Mbedu. Throughout the duration of the movie, the two must protect their sacred land and fight off any and all perceived enemies of The Kingdom of Dahomey. Helmed by director Prince-Bythewod, the film alsostars Lashana Lynch, John Boyega, Sheila Atim, and Hero Fiennes Tiffin. Prince-Bythewood recently debuted the official movie trailer for the film for the first time at Cinemacon to a very fired up and excited audience.
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The director praised Davis' performance during the Sony presentation, stating, “she is everything we believe her to be, and she kicks ass in this film." It was also revealed at Cinemacon that Davis has been a strong advocate and champion as a producer forThe Woman King. She fought long and hard, quite similar to her character Nanisca, in order to get this story made and havethese women’s storiesfinally be given the visibility they deserve.Empirerecently released a new image fromThe Woman Kingthat features Davis as Nanisca, in full armor, suited up to lead her noble troops towards the battle.
Davis channels the sisterhood alliance by having Lynch and Atim at her side like unwavering candlestick flames. Lynch and Atim are also both armed with melee weapons and are ready to take down anyone who stands in their way without a second thought or flinch. Prince-Bythewood explained her vision behindThe Woman Kingimage, stating, “we were intentional of creating an ensemble of the dopest actors of this moment from all over the diaspora.” The Dahomey Amazon Warriors’ creation reportedly stemmed from the overwhelming lack of men within the tribe due to the neighboring kingdom capturing Dahomey men as enslaved people.
At the height of their reign, the Amazon unit averaged around six-thousand people. The Dahomey Warriors also allegedly inspired the all-femaleDora Milaje royal guard inBlack Panther. However, they also made an appearance in an episode ofLovecraft Country,where Hippolyta time travelled back to the past to fight with her fellow warriors.
The Woman Kingis set to premiere in theaters, on September 16th, 2022.
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