The action epic "The Woman King," starring Viola davis, easily dominated the North American box office in its opening weekend, beating a crowded market for new films. The film, directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, topped estimates and made $19 million at the box office, according to estimates on Sunday.
The Queen was released in 3,765 locations and reportedly had a production budget of $50 million. The film, which tells the story of Agojie, a female soldier in the 19th-century West African kingdom of Dahomey, received rave reviews after its premiere at the Toronto Film Festival.
It is 94% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes . Theater audiences seemed equally enthusiastic, giving it a rare A+ movie rating.
Not every action movie succeeds in every way, but this impressive epic from director Gina Prince-Bythewood does, even more. When the African kingdom of Dahomey is threatened by an empire, King Gazzo ( John Boyega ) orders Naneska (Davis), the general of his fearsome all-female fighting force , recruit new troops for the upcoming battle. Davis' top-tier cast also includes Lashana Lynch (as Naniska's right-hand man) and Suso Mbedu (as a rookie fighter).
