In the first teaser for The Woman King, which was released on Wednesday, Oscar-winning Viola Davis commands a fearless all-female African warrior unit into battle.
At one point in the movie, a menacing voiceover declares, “We have a weapon they are not prepared for,” and General Nansica, played by Davis, emerges from the undergrowth of the forest flanked by Agojie, a troop of African warrior women preparing for combat against European invaders.
The trailer shows a Black Panther-inspired all-female military team training while being pushed along by a furiously motivated Nansica. The Woman King is based on actual incidents that occurred in the Kingdom of Dahomey, one of the most potent empires in Africa in the 18th and 19th centuries.
The plot centers on Nanisca and Nawi, portrayed by Thuso Mbedu as ambitious recruit, who works together to fend off foes that threatened to ruin everything they had worked for, defiled their honor, and enslaved their people. “I offer you a choice. Fight, or we die,” the daring recruits are cautioned by Nansica.
King Ghezo of Dahomey, played by John Boyega, is persuaded by Nansica to resist Europeans trying to take over their realm.
Gina Prince-Bythewood, who co-wrote the script with Dana Stevens, is the director of The Woman King. Davis, Cathy Schulman, Maria Bello, and Julius Tennon all received producer credits, with Peter McAleese serving as executive producer.
On September 16, The Woman King will be released in cinemas. The film will be released in the UK and Canada by eOne, who also co-financed it.
