Photo: Viola Davis, Adrienne Warren & THE WOMAN KING CAST Cover Essence Magazine

ESSENCE Communications, Inc., the leading media, technology, and commerce company serving Black women and communities, has REVEALED the stunning and powerful cast of The Woman KING as their September 2022 Digital Cover.

The cover features Tony-winner Adrienne Warren, Viola Davis, Lashana Lynch, Thuso Mbedu, and Sheila Atim.

"The important part of this story is --I'm saying this now because it's been almost eight years -- I would say at the time it didn't hit me. Not the story. The story hit me. The possibility of the story seeing light did not hit me," Davis shares.

"I think that's important to say, because we are sort of thrust into this business. We're sort of thrust in the world too, but that's a whole different conversation. But we're thrust in the business automatically assuming that something is not going to happen if it's never been done before. There's not going to be any support, no one's going to want to do it, no studio's going to give it the green light vote, and who would want to see me like that? And so I personally dropped it in my mind until Kathy Schulman came with the script by Dana Stevens and I was like, 'Oh, okay.'"

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...

"Our togetherness is resistance. We are so much stronger together. I didn't know I had sisters in places. That's how it felt being on this set. My sisters have multiplied. And the beauty in that, and the beauty in what we have learned from each other because of our individual lived experiences, and the beauty that we present when we come together, we present what the world has never seen before," Adrienne Warren stated.

"They love, they meaning the system, meaning everything else out there, loves to divide us, because if you divide us, then you can conquer us. Try to penetrate us. You won't because we have been through so much, and because in each and every way, we're not superheroes, we're actually warriors. We're Black women."

Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, the story is by Maria Bello and Dana Stevens and the screenplay by Dana Stevens. Produced by Cathy Schulman, Viola Davis, Julius Tennon and Maria Bello, Peter McAleese serves as executive producer. The film stars Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim, Hero Fiennes Tiffin and John Boyega. The action drama is co-financed by Entertainment One (eOne).

Essence Communications is the number one-and only 100% Black-owned-media, technology and commerce company at scale dedicated to Black women and communities. With a community of more than 31 million Black women, ESSENCE inspires a global audience through diverse storytelling and immersive original content rooted in Culture, Equity and Celebration.

The brand's multi-platform presence in/ publishing, experiential and online encompasses its namesake magazine; digital, video and social platforms; television specials; books; and signature live events, including Black Women in Music, Black Women in Hollywood, ESSENCE Black Women in Sports, Fashion House, Street Style and the ESSENCE Festival of Culture.