"The Woman King": Viola Davis, Lupita Nyong'o to play mother and daughter in new film

Oscar winners Viola Davis and Lupita Nyong'o will play mother and daughter in upcoming film, "The Woman King."

Viola Davis and Lupita Nyong’o will play mother and daughter in an upcoming female warrior tale, "The Woman King."

TriStar Pictures has acquired worldwide rights to the feature film, which is inspired by true events and based on an original story by Maria Bello.

 

About "The Woman King"

Based on the true events that took place in The Kingdom of Dahomey, one of the most powerful West African states in the 18th and 19th centuries, "The Woman King" tells the story of Nanisca (Davis), general of the all-female military unit known as the Amazons, and her daughter Nawi (Nyong’o), 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 King Women" is being produced by Cathy Schulman’s Welle Entertainment, Davis and Julius Tennon’s JuVee Productions, and Bello’s Jack Blue Productions.

 

Comparing the project to the record-breaking "Black Panther" which starred Nyong'o,  Schulman said: “Black Panther"  just showed us how the power of imagination and lore could reveal a world without gender and racial stereotypes.

"The Woman King"  will tell one of history’s greatest forgotten stories from the real world in which we live, where an army of African warrior women staved off slavery, colonialism and inter-tribal warfare to unify a nation.”

No director or release date has been attached to the film.