Viola Davis Will Play Lupita Nyong'o's Mother in The Woman King

Lupita Nyong'o and Viola Davis will star alongside each other in the new film The Woman King, with the former playing the latter's daughter.

The film will follow the true story of the African Kingdom of Dahomey in the 18th and 19th centuries, as they defend themselves from colonization by the French and the attacks of neighboring tribes enslaving their citizens.

Davis will play the role of Nanisca, the general of Dahomey's all-women military called the Amazons. Lupita will play Nawi, who fights in her mother's army.

Related | Viola Davis Accepts Harvard's Artist of the Year in Moving Speech

Hannah Mingella, president of TriStar pictures (who have just acquired worldwide rights to the film) commented in Deadline's report: "The Woman King is the powerful true story of an extraordinary mother-daughter relationship. And there's no-one more extraordinary than Viola Davis and Lupita Nyong'o to bring them to life."

The story comes from Maria Bello and will be produced by Cathy Schulman's Welle Entertainment, as well as Davis and Julius Tennon of JuVee Productions and Bello of Jack Blue Productions.