The Agojie was a female-only fighting force that served the West African kingdom of Dahomey from the 17th to the 19th centuries. They will be the subject of the American historical epic film The Woman King, released in 2022. The film is set in the 1820s, and Viola Davis plays a general who prepares a new generation of soldiers to battle.
It was written by Dana Stevens and Maria Bello, and Gina Prince-Bythewood directed the film. The film also has supporting roles John Boyega, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim, and Thuso Mbedu.
In 2015, Bello visited Benin, the former location of Dahomey, and learned about the Agojie, which inspired her to write The Woman King. She believed the plot was compelling enough to enlist Cathy Schulman to write and direct the film adaptation. They took it to many studios, but all of them ultimately passed on it for budgetary reasons. They had a meeting with TriStar Pictures in 2017, and by 2020, the picture had been given the go-ahead.
Woman King Storyline
General Nanisca, head of the all-female squad of warriors known as the Agojie, frees Dahomean women kidnapped by slavers from the Oyo Empire and brought to the West African kingdom of Dahomey in the 1820s. Because of this, Dahomean King Ghezo is now preparing for an all-out war with the Oyo. As part of her efforts to ensure the safety of her realm, Nanisca has started training a new generation of warriors to join the Agojie.
Nawi is one of the warriors; her father gave her to the king when she refused to marry males who would beat her. Nawi makes a friend in the seasoned Agojie Izogie. As if that weren’t enough to stun Nanisca, she then confesses that she is adopted by showing a birthmark on her left shoulder.
As part of an agreement with the Oyo led by General Oba Ade, European slavers led by Santo Ferreira and accompanied by the half-Dahomean Malik arrived in Africa. Nawi meets Malik in the shower, and the two quickly become pals. Nawi, fresh out of Agojie training, overhears Malik discussing an impending Oyo attack. She goes and tells Nanisca, who scolds her for being so careless.
After being kidnapped as a young woman, raped, and impregnated by Oba, Nanisca claims she can never forgive him. Nanisca gave up her newborn daughter with a shark tooth buried in her left shoulder. Nawi’s tooth is pulled by Nanisca, proving that she is indeed the mother of this young woman.
The Agojie are attacking the Oyo under Nanisca’s leadership. While Nawi and Izogie are taken, Oba can evade capture during the successful attack. Somehow, one of the captured Agojie managed to escape and tell Nanisca what had happened to the others. Ghezo is getting ready to make Nanisca his co-ruler of Dahomey by naming her Woman King, but he still won’t let anyone try to free Agojie.
Meanwhile, Izogie is slain while attempting to escape, prompting Malik to purchase Nawi for his safety. Nanisca disobeys orders and leads a band of other warriors on a mission to free the prisoners. Due to the mayhem, Nawi can make his way back to Nanisca. Malik frees several slaves, and they all drown Santa, while Nanisca fights and kills Oba.
Once back in Dahomey, the victorious Agojie have a brief private conversation with Ghezo about Nanisca’s disobedience before crowning her the Woman King. After the celebrations are over, Nanisca and Nawi secretly embrace their familial connection.
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Woman King Cast And Crew Members
There have been some truly remarkable films released in the past year. Following the publication of “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” “Nope, the Terrifying Barbarian,” and Jordan Peele’s most recent horror film, “Get Out,” we will now continue with the release of some fantastic new works for the entire globe to enjoy.
The Woman King is the newest picture that will be released as part of the 2022 movie release schedule, and it is the one that everyone is talking about. It features a cast that is the stuff of dreams.
This epic historical drama tells the true story of the all-female warrior unit called the Agojie, whose primary responsibility was to protect the kingdom of Dahomey in Africa from colonizers when they attempted to take it over. Stars such as Viola Davis, John Boyega, and several other well-known actors are a part of this production.
If you’re looking for a place to start looking for the cast of The Woman King, you don’t need to go any farther since I’m confident many of these faces will look recognizable.
Viola Davis
Viola Davis, who plays the title role in The Woman King, has traveled the world. Davis trains incredibly hard for her character as General Nanisca, a badass in her own right and someone I’m sure everyone aspires to be in her latest film. It’s possible you haven’t seen her before The Woman King, but you’ve definitely seen her in one of her many other roles.
She is best known for her performance in Fences, while her career also includes notable turns in The Help, Doubt, and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, all of which earned her Academy Award nods. The Suicide Squad movie (in which she played Amanda Waller), Beautiful Creatures, Widows, Get On Up (co-starring Chadwick Boseman), and more are among her other major film roles. She will also be seen in the upcoming films Black Adam and The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
Davis has also made television appearances. She is most known for her role as Annalise Keating on How to Get Away with Murder, but she has also guest-starred on shows including Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Scandal and played Michelle Obama in the film The First Lady. She is, without a doubt, an outstanding performer.
Hero Fiennes Tiffin
Santo Ferreira, the coloniser who appears in The Woman King and is performed by Hero Fiennes Tiffin, is one of the characters in this play. If you recognise that middle name, it’s because Tiffin Fiennes is the nephew of the acclaimed actor Ralph Fiennes. Tiffin even played young Tom Riddle (also known as Voldemort) in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
However, you might recognise that name from somewhere else because Tiffin is also the leader of the After movie franchise on Netflix, which is geared toward young adults and focuses on love relationships. In addition to that, he also appeared in the suspense film The Silencing as a supporting character. In addition, he appeared in episodes of the television shows Safe and Cleaning Up.
Lashana Lynch
Let’s look at Lashana Lynch’s character, Izogie, another warrior from The Woman King. Izogie is portrayed by the actress. Lynch’s acting career began much before her part in The Woman King, when she acted in a number of other movies and films.
One of her most recent roles was playing Maria Rambeau, who appeared in Captain Marvel and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, both released in 2022. In addition, she played the role of Nomi in the cast of No Time to Die, and she also appeared in the films Brotherhood, Powder Room, and Fast Girls.
Lynch has also had a number of appearances on television, including a recurrent position in the series Bulletproof, starring in Still Star-Crossed, and having a recurring character on Crims. In addition, Lynch has been in a number of films.
John Boyega
Lastly, we have John Boyega, who portrays King Ghezo in The Woman King. Boyega’s name became well-known in the 2010s because to his role as Finn in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, but he has also contributed to a wide variety of other projects.
Aside from his starring turn in the science fiction picture Attack the Block, he has also had notable cinematic appearances in Imperial Dreams, Detroit, and Breaking. Besides these two films, he also made appearances in The Circle and Naked Singularity. Boyega received a Golden Globe for his work in the anthology series Small Axe and has also voiced a character in the animated series Major Lazor.
You may have recognised many of the names in this cast from their many other roles in film and television. After such a successful film as The Woman King, we can expect to see them in a plethora of future productions. As for me, I’m eager to see what comes next for these actors.
Thuso Mbedu
The character of Nawi, who appears in The Woman King and is portrayed by Thuso Mbedu, is next on our list. Mbedu is making her debut in the film industry with this role, and she couldn’t have asked for a better mentor than Viola Davis to guide her through the early stages of her career. However, previous to her role in the historical epic, Thuso Mbedu has substantial work in the television industry.
She played a recurrent role in the TV series Shuga, in addition to having a starring role in Is’Thunzi and a supporting role in the television series Scandal. Her most recent leading part was in the 2021 Amazon miniseries The Underground Railroad, which was a very wonderful programme that you should absolutely check out if you haven’t seen it already. If you haven’t watched it, you should absolutely check it out. It comes highly recommended by me.
Other Cast: Sheila Atim, Jayme Lawson, Jordan Bolger, Adrienne Warren
Woman King Trailer
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