I have been jumping out of my skin with excitement ever since I saw two movie trailers this week. They might actually get me to go back to the theatre, and for pretty much the same reason.
First, The Woman King, starring Viola Davis.
The subject matter deals with the women warriors of Dahomey. In case you forgot, my current manuscript honors these women as well, from a modern standpoint. At first, I was disappointed that I was not the first to adapt this forgotten history into a story, but I am so happy that it made the screen that I cannot be disappointed anymore. How many novels out there are about vampires? I do not have to be the first in order to stand out. And with Ms. Viola at the helm, I intend to enjoy this movie, not resent it.
And then, there is the long-awaited sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, starring Angela Bassett.
Finally, we will get to see how they will handle the death of Chadwick Boseman, may he rest in power. I was one of the few people who did NOT want the part to be recast, because I did not want to be forced to compare. I get the feeling, though, that they did not go with the comic alternative to make Shuri the new Black Panther.
It doesn’t really make a difference to me. I am here for the story and the strong female presence, which includes the Dora Milaje, who were written based on the Dahomeyan warriors. Nothing from this trailer disappoints me.
Both of these trailers do the opposite: they invigorate me. They make me feel proud of being a Black woman and knowing my history. So I guess I’ll have to convince Jenise to double-mask with me at the theatre. I will let you know how that goes.
