Box Office: ‘The Woman King’ Earns $1.7 Million in Thursday Previews
Jordan Moreau Sony’s “The Woman King,” starring Viola Davis, has earned $1.7 million at the domestic box office, as theatergoers slowly embrace one of the first major studio releases in a few weeks. The historical epic is aiming for a $15 million opening this weekend, where it doesn’t face much competition from rival releases. Other projections see a launch as high as $18 million to $20 million, or as low as $12 million. “The Woman King” comes with a $50 million price tag, so results on the lower end would be less than royal for Sony. Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood (“The Old Guard,” “Love & Basketball”), the movie premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last week, where it had a warm reception from attendees. Set in the 1820s, the film stars Davis as a powerful general of the Agojie, an all-female military regiment that protected the West African kingdom of Dahomey. The cast includes John Boyega, Lashana Lynch, Thuso Mbedu and Sheila Atim.