On the heels of some images that were released yesterday for The Woman King, Sony released today the trailer for the epic historical action movie. Viola Davis stars as the ruthless general of a female military group. The images showed that the Academy Award winner looks more than ready for battle, and now the trailer helps us dive deeper into the story and provides a better scope of what we can expect from the upcoming movie, which is set to premiere in mid-September.

The trailer makes it clear that it's impossible not to get hyped up with the story, which chronicles the brutal training of the Agojie, the all-female unit of warriors who protected the African Kingdom of Dahomey. The movie will center around their fight to protect the African territory from white invaders who want to destroy their way of life and ultimately uproot them. But the warriors won't budge, and will push themselves to the very edge in order to protect their families and homeland.

Also showcased by the trailer are the production values of The Woman King, which underscore the epic scale of the story, from costume design to enormous set pieces. It also suggests that Davis and her co-stars went through a rough period of training both on and offscreen (which Davis mentioned in a recent interview), as the epic story centers around ruthless warriors who are always prepared for war — and it shows.

woman king viola davis john boyega
Image via Sony

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The Woman King tells the story of Nanisca (Davis), a general of a female military group in the Kingdom of Dahomey, which was one of the most powerful states in the continent of Africa during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The film is based on real-life events and follows Nanisca and her military recruit Nawi (Thuso Mbedu) as they fight off enemies and those who have tarnished their sense of honor. Also starring in the film are Lashana Lynch, John Boyega, Sheila Atim, Adrienne Warren, Jayme Lawson, and Hero Fiennes-Tiffin.

The movie is directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, who previously helmed The Secret Life of Bees and Netflix’s The Old Guard. She co-writes the script with Dana Stevens (City of Angels, What About Brian).

The Woman King premieres in theaters on September 16.

You can watch the trailer below:

Check out the official synopsis here:

'The Woman King' is the remarkable story of the Agojie, the all-female unit of warriors who protected the African Kingdom of Dahomey in the 1800s with skills and a fierceness unlike anything the world has ever seen. Inspired by true events, 'The Woman King' follows the emotionally epic journey of General Nanisca (Oscar®-winner Viola Davis) as she trains the next generation of recruits and readies them for battle against an enemy determined to destroy their way of life. Some things are worth fighting for…