John Boyega has already mooted prequel ideas for the critically-acclaimed film The Woman King, with cast and crew responding positively.
Critical reviews and early audience reactions to The Woman King have been strong so far, with Gina Prince-Bythewood’s historical drama picking up lots of acclaim. If there’s one issue so far, it’s that some critics have taken issue with the film’s rewriting of history, largely erasing the Dahomean involvement in supporting the slave trade by conducting slave raids with their warriors.
Alongside Viola Davis, John Boyega leads the film, playing the Dahomey ruler, and the actor has already mooted an idea for a follow-up which might go some way towards appeasing the film’s critics.
Fellow castmate Thuso Mbedu, revealed to Variety that everybody so far seems to like the idea, saying that “John’s idea is amazing”.
He explained: “Basically, to go back to the history of the Dahomey – where he isn’t really a favourable king in real history. He would want us to touch on that in the second one. What if we see him as more of a villain? That type of situation”.
Gina Prince-Bythewood has reportedly responded positively to this, although clearly there’s still a long way to go.
Presenting Boyega’s king as a more deplorable character won’t erase the historical inaccuracies of The Woman King but it would at least go some way towards presenting a more accurate depiction of historical events.
Boyega himself continues to be a growing creative force with the projects he selects. Since finding his multi-film experience in the Star Wars universe to be a less than fulfilling experience, Boyega seems to be choosing roles where he has greater creative input and given the disappointment of how the Star Wars sequel trilogy turned out, who can blame him? As well as pitching a sequel to The Woman King, the actor is currently co-writing the story for Attack the Block 2 with director Joe Cornish.
You can catch The Woman King in cinemas from the 4th of October. We’ll keep you informed of any further updates regarding a follow-up film.
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