The casting for upcoming film The Woman King just keeps on getting better and better. Hero Fiennes Tiffin, star of the After films has just been cast in the project which is currently in pre-production. The Woman King is a film that has been on my radar since I first saw Viola Davis’s Instagram photos of her looking like a badass as she was working with her trainer. Naturally it piqued my interest because a title like The Woman King would make anyone curious especially if Viola Davis is involved.
If you’ve never heard of The Woman King, here’s a synopsis:
“A historical epic inspired by true events that took place in The Kingdom of Dahomey, one of the most powerful states of Africa in the 18th and 19th centuries. The story follows Nanisca 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.”
Viola Davis will play general Nanisca and Thuso Mbedu will play her daughter Nawi. John Boyega, whose casting was announced three weeks ago by The Hollywood Reporter, will play Dahomey’s ruler King Ghezo. See what I said about the casting? It’s going to be an outstanding amount of talent on the big screen. I was already excited about this movie and seeing that Hero has been added to the cast, only added to that excitement. Right now, there is no specific information as to who he is going to play in this film, but we know he’s going to be amazing, and we can’t wait to see him share the screen with all these big names.
Also added to the cast are Jayme Lawson who will play the ambitious and cunning head wife of King Ghezo, and Masali Baduza who join previously cast Lashana Lynch who will play a veteran warrior, and Adrienne Warren and Sheila Atim who will play warriors in Nanisca’s elite unit.
The screenplay for the film was written by Dana Stevens and will be directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood. The fact that Gina Prince-Bythewood is directing the film is one of the other things I am most excited about. Gina Prince-Bythewood is an incredible writer and director who has done some amazing things in TV and film that showcase the black experience. Just check out her IMDb to see her body of work. My personal favorites of hers are Love & Basketball, Disappearing Acts, The Secret Life of Bees, and Beyond the Lights.
She’s also the woman behind one of Fangirlish’s favorite action films The Old Guard. If you haven’t watched that one, we highly advise you to do so ASAP. We know she is going to do something amazing with The Woman King. I think this film is going to be an unforgettable experience. I know the shoot hasn’t started yet but, this story is probably going to be one that means so much to so many people. I personally had never even heard of this story so I’m glad we’re getting it.
The Woman King has been in the works since 2018 and after seeing a film like Black Panther with the powerful women behind the Dora Miljae, I’m looking forward to a film that is full of strong Black women taking charge and standing up for what they believe in. And it’s a true story? What could be better than that? It’s about time we got more stories like these that break stereotypes and show the world there is more to Black history that still deserves to be recognized.
The Woman King will be distributed by TriStar Pictures and is produced by Cathy Schulman via Welle Entertainment, Viola Davis and her husband Julius Tennon via their company JuVee Productions and Maria Bello via Jack Blue. According to KFTV, filming for The Woman King is set to take place in South Africa. No filming dates have been announced at this time, but we will be keeping an eye on all the news that comes out.
Are you excited about The Woman King? What do you think about the cast? Tell us in the comments.
