John Boyega has joined Viola Davis and Thuso Mbedu in Gina Prince Bythewood‘s The Woman King.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Boyega will play Dahomey ruler King Ghezo. Opposite Boyega, Davis will play the general of the Dahomey Kingdom’s all-female military. Mbedu will play one of the newest soldiers. As The Hollywood Reporter wrote:

“Per the studio, the project is inspired by true events that took place in the Kingdom of Dahomey, one of the most powerful states of Africa in the 18th and 19th centuries. The story follows Nanisca (Davis), the general of the all-female military unit, and Nawi (Mbedu), an ambitious recruit, who together fought enemies who violated their honor, enslaved their people and threatened to destroy everything they’ve lived for.”

Prince-Bythewood said in a statement how excited she is to work with Boyega.

“I have been enamored by John’s immense talent for years, but his speech to Black women during the [Black Lives Matter] protests cemented my desire to work with him,” she said. “The description of King Ghezo reads, ‘He walks as if the earth were honored by its burden.’ John possesses that innate depth and swagger, and I’m so excited to put it on screen.”

The film is also starring Lashana Lynch, who can be seen in the upcoming James Bond film, No Time to Die. As Shadow and Act reported in earlier this month, Lynch is described as playing “a charming veteran warrior.”

Prince-Bythewood also gave a statement at the time about Lynch joining the cast, saying, “Lashana is next-level dope. Not just her incredible chops, but who she projects to the world. She embodies these true-life warriors and we are so lucky she is coming to play.”

The Woman King is written by Dana Stevens from a draft by Stevens and Prince-Bythewood. Davis and Julius Tennon will produce through their company JuVee Productions with Maria Bello’s Jack Blue and Cathy Schulman’s Welle Entertainment.