In an interview with Vanity Fair, Davis and film director Gina Prince-Bythewood talked about the production, what it means to them and how hard it was to get the project off the ground. New images for the movie were also unveiled along with the interview, and they suggest The Woman King will be an epic in every way: Davis looks absolutely fierce and beefed up in character – the result of a “four hours a day, five days a week” training schedule, as she reveals. The images also provide a look into the impressive costume design and the breathtaking landscape in which the story is set, all of which only makes us more excited to check out the first trailer when it finally comes out.

Davis also commented that she’s fully aware that this is a story that we’ve never seen in cinema before, and also a very different part that she’s playing in her career: the Academy Award winner has flirted with action in movies like Lila & Eve and Widows, but this is the first time she leads and intense, action-packed story:

“I’ve never had a role like this before. It’s transformative. And to be a producer on it, and to know that I had a hand in bringing it to fruition…. There’s always a vision you have for your career, but there are very few roles as an actress of color. Dark skin with a wide nose and big lips. I’m just gonna continue to say it. Those stories are extraordinarily limited. […] I knew what it would mean to us as Black people. Something that has never been done before. And what it would mean for Black women sitting in that movie theater. The responsibility is really high.”

In addition, Prince-Bythewood commented on the struggle of bringing such a unique project to life, but also celebrated the fact that she had the opportunity to work with the film crew she wanted to bring together:

“It takes so long to get to a greenlight, especially to tell a story like this. There are so many hurdles—and the finish line keeps getting moved. I just kept picturing the first time I would be on set, and say “action,” and look around and be surrounded by us. I held that thought with me until it happened. […] This was absolutely the most diverse crew I’ve ever worked with. I take that responsibility very seriously and I have fought for it for years and years.”

The Woman King centers around Nanisca (Davis), a general of a female military group in the Kingdom of Dahomey, which was one of the most powerful states in the continent of Africa during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The cast also features Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch, John Boyega, Sheila Atim, Adrienne Warren, Jayme Lawson, and Hero Fiennes-Tiffin. Prince-Bythewood, who previously helmed The Secret Life of Bees and Netflix’s The Old Guard, co-writes the script with Dana Stevens (City of Angels, What About Brian).

The Woman King premieres in theaters on September 16. Check out the rest of the images below:

Image via Vanity Fair