‘Woman King’ Stars Viola Davis and Julius Tennon Talk Box Office Victory and Defend Film Against Historical Critics: ‘We Have to Take License’
variety.comClayton Davis As the filmmaking team for “The Woman King” travels to Brazil to promote the historical epic, Viola Davis and her husband and producing partner Julius Tennon are celebrating the success of the film’s no.
1 debut at the box office, grossing $19 million domestically. The film had its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival on Sept.
10, followed by opening in theaters one week later. It’s one of the rare films where critics and general audiences given it a similarly positive reception, with a 95% critics score and 99% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
It even pulled off an “A+” Cinema Score. Davis emphasizes that the story of “The Woman King” can connect to all audiences, not only Black women. “There was a sense that our stories aren’t universal and can’t reach the white man or woman or the Hispanic man or woman,” Davis tells Variety. “I feel human stories are for everyone, not just Black consumption.” Just today, Davis says, a white woman asked her, “Does it surprise you that your story could reach me as a white woman?” “No,” she says she answered. “I know my story can reach you as your story can reach me.
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