'The Woman King' offers nuanced look at Black history, says John Boyega

British star John Boyega says he signed on for Viola Davis-led The Woman King as he believed the film explores an important chapter in Black history beyond “surface level”. The Gina Prince-Bythewood directorial, about an all-female warrior unit who protected the African kingdom of Dahomey in the 19th century, features Boyega as King Ghezo.

As much as the action sequences will enthral the audiences, the “nuanced and detailed look” at the Black history is not to be missed out, the Star Wars actor said.

“I would tell the audience that it’s much more of a nuanced detailed take that goes into literally the journey of characters and their emotions as they change over time as these events kind of happen to them.

“We’re doing more than just hitting the surface level points that we know of this kind of history. We’re going deeper and deeper,” Boyega said.

The Woman King primarily focuses on Davis’ character General Nanisca, the leader of the all-female group of warriors called the Agojie and how she trains the next generation of warriors to fight their enemies.

The upcoming film may have a period feel to it but the themes it tackles are contemporary, said Boyega, known for films such as Attack the Block, Detroit, Breaking and Steve McQueen’s acclaimed anthology series Small Axe.

“It explores different perspectives and some very hard-hitting points around femininity, togetherness, family and war. There are so many stories in there and there’s so many side stories with all the different characters and the ensemble that we have,” the actor said.

The Woman King also features Lashana Lynch.