Gina Prince-Bythewood To Direct Viola Davis In Historical Epic ‘The Woman King’

How about more good news for Gina Prince-Bythewood? Suddenly, coming off the hot debut of The Old Guard, the director’s name is on everybody’s lips. And now she’s landed a new gig that will find her working with Oscar-winner Viola Davis.

Variety reports Prince-Bythewood will direct The Woman King, which Davis has been attached to produce and star in for a couple of years. The film is a historical epic, inspired by true events in the Kingdom of Dahomey, a powerful state in 18th & 19th century Africa. Davis will play Nanisca, a general in the all-female fighting force. Together with her daughter Nawi, they fight the French and neighboring tribes that threaten to enslave them and destroy everything they’ve lived for.

Lupita Nyong’o had been eyed to play the daughter, but that appears to no longer be the case. It’ll be interesting to see who they get for the role now. Perhaps another Black Panther star, Letitia Wright?

Before The Old Guard, Prince-Bythewood wasn’t known for action movies at all, but it’s clear now that her career has taken off in a new direction.

Travis Hopson
Travis Hopson has been reviewing movies before he even knew there was such a thing. Having grown up on a combination of bad '80s movies, pro wrestling, comic books, and hip-hop, Travis is uniquely positioned to geek out on just about everything under the sun. A vampire who walks during the day and refuses to sleep, Travis is the co-creator and lead writer for Punch Drunk Critics. He is also a contributor to Good Morning Washington, WBAL Morning News, and WETA Around Town. In the five minutes a day he's not working, Travis is also a voice actor, podcaster, and Twitch gamer. Travis is a voting member of the Critics Choice Association (CCA), Washington DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA), and Late Night programmer for the Lakefront Film Festival.