As ‘The Woman King’ film crew travels to Brazil to promote the historical epic, Viola Davis and her husband and producing partner Julius Tennon celebrate the success of film no. 1 debuted at the box office, grossing $19 million domestically.
The film had its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival on September 10, followed by opening in theaters a week later. It’s one of the few films where critics and general audiences have given it such a positive reception, with a 95% critics score and a 99% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. It even earned an “A+” movie score.
Davis points out that the story of “The Woman King” can reach all audiences, not just black women.
“There was a feeling that our stories aren’t universal and can’t reach the white man or woman or the Hispanic man or woman,” Davis said. Variety. “I think human stories are for everyone, not just black consumption.”
Just today, says Davis, a white woman asked him, “Does it surprise you that your story could reach me as a white woman?
“No”, she said, she answered. “I know that my story can reach you as your story can reach me. The only one surprised is you.
Davis appears as an action star in a film that mixes large-scale historical epics like “Braveheart” (1995) and “Gladiator” (2001), both Best Picture Oscar winners. Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, the film’s breadth and brevity is an ongoing effort, boasting stellar performances, as well as an impressive team of craftsmen, including composer Terence Blanchard and cinematographer Polly Morgan. In the film, Davis plays Nanisca, a brave warrior and general of the Agojie, the all-female warrior unit that protected the West African kingdom from the 17th to the 19th century.
Davis is an Oscar winner for “Fences” (2016) and is the most nominated black actress with four names. By comparison, there have been 14 cases of black women nominated for Best Actress, with one winner, Halle Berry (for “Monster’s Ball” in 2001). Meryl Streep has more nominations in the category, with 17, with two statuettes.
The film becomes a showcase for the next generation of black women in Hollywood, including Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim and Jayme Lawson. “It’s always about the next generation, and that’s our job in this lifetime. It’s about running your stage of the race and passing the baton to the great runner. But you have to be brave enough to run the race. You have to be brave enough to both do original content that will move the narrative,” says Davis.
“Let’s be clear, Hollywood is all about business,” says Tennon, who also stars in the film as Moru. “If we want to keep making these kinds of films, they have to make money. We understand that.”
Lily Variety interview with the two producers of “The Woman King”.
‘The Woman King’ cast members Sheila Atim, Gina Prince-Bythewood, John Boyega, Viola Davis, Cathy Schulman, Thuso Mbedu, Julius Tennon and Lashana Lynch at the Toronto Film Festival.
Michelle Quance for Variety
How does it feel to see a movie you put your heart and soul into do so well at the box office?
Viola Davis: It’s like I never doubted “The Woman King” would land because it landed with me. He landed with Gina. He landed with Julius. It is an undeniable and powerful story. The way we see numbers today is not the way we see numbers. I think people tend to say, we only represent a certain percentage of the box office. We know black women. We know they’re going to bring people they work with, spouses and families, and they’ll come back five or six times over the weekend. We are in an industry that does not see the power of black women at the global box office.
Julius Tennon: There is always a little fear of the unknown. Hollywood likes to have a formula in how it markets its ideas. There’s nothing wrong with that, but when you make a movie like this, we know people of color, especially black people, are hungry for that kind of content. And when Viola has the presence, like she’s had over the years, we know how to reach those audiences that studios don’t follow.
Black allies and celebrities like Kerry Washington, Gabrielle Union, Dwyane Wade and Octavia Spencer have purchased theaters in communities that may struggle to buy tickets to see the film. Is this something you would like to see more progress?
Davis: I would do it because to move the narrative forward in terms of diversity and inclusion, we’re going to have to do it all together. This is not a lone wolf fight. When you change cultural narratives, it takes people coming together to change it. Alone, you work in a vacuum.
tenon: What we understand is what the studio wants, and they want the movies to perform. Hollywood is a business and if we want to keep making these kinds of movies, they have to make money. Let’s be clear about this, and we get it. We must continue to support each other.
With the film’s success, are there any talks of a sequel, especially given the post-credits sequence with Sheila Atim?
tenon: Well, you know, it looks like we could [do a sequel]. We haven’t had any discussions about it yet.
Are you open to more if the studio wants more?
Davis: I’m open to more but let me tell you. I was already the oldest warrior on the battlefield. If we make a sequel, I hope I still have teeth [laughs], but yeah, I’m totally open to that. Wide-open. Still.
#BoycottWomanKing popped up over the weekend with people who felt it wasn’t about the Kingdom of Dahomey’s involvement in slavery. We don’t see that kind of complaint when releasing a Christopher Columbus film that doesn’t cover cultural genocide – what have you to say to those who think it leaves out those parts of the story ?
Davis: First off, I agree with Gina Prince-Bythewood’s saying that you’re not going to win an argument on Twitter. We entered the story where the kingdom was in full mutation, at a crossroads. They sought to find a way to keep their civilization and kingdom alive. It wasn’t until the late 1800s that they were decimated. Most of the story is fictionalized. It must be.
tenon: We are now what we call “edutainment”. It’s history but we have to take the license. We have to entertain people. If we just told a history lesson, which we could very well have, it would be a documentary. Sadly, people wouldn’t be in theaters doing the same thing we saw this weekend. We didn’t want to run away from the truth. The story is massive and there are truths to it that are there. If people want to know more, they can investigate further.
Davis: Part of the story that struck me as an artist was that these women were unwanted. They were recruited between the ages of 8 and 14. It was the women who were not considered desirable. No one wanted to marry them. They were unruly. They were recruited by the King to fight for the Kingdom of Dahomey. They were not allowed to marry or have children. Those who refused the call were beheaded. It’s also part of the story. People are really emotionally upset. I saw a TikTok video today of women in an AMC theater bathroom, and I don’t think they knew each other. They were all singing and ruminating. It cannot be quantified in words.
Are you interested in working together again as actors, like a romantic comedy or something that will showcase the chemistry you share as artists?
tenon: If the right thing came along, we would. We always talk about doing something on stage because we’re both stage actors, and it’s more visceral on stage.
Davis: Our lives are a romantic comedy [laughs]. It’s really fun. We tell everyone when we walk into the room, we bring the fun.
To see ranked predictions for each individual category, visit Variety Oscar Center.