The Woman King Director Reacts To Missing Oscar Nomination 

 The Woman King director Gina Prince-Bythewood is speaking out for the first time since her movie was shut out from receiving any nominations at the 95th Academy Awards. 

“This awards season was an eye-opener,” Prince-Bythewood told The Hollywood Reporter in a piece exploring her reaction to the nominations, which left no women nominated for Best Director and Woman King star Viola Davis shut out of the Best Actress conversation. 

“I’ve gotten so many texts and emails from people in the industry outraged by the Oscar nominations. Of course, I’m disappointed. Who wouldn’t be?” the director, whose past films include Love and Basketball (2000) and The Old Guard (2020), told the outlet. “Especially because there was so much love for our film.” 

Despite ‘The Woman King’s’ lack of recognition from the Academy, Prince-Bythewood maintained that her film was a success, citing the movie’s positive reviews from critics and audiences, as well as “groundbreaking and historic” global box office numbers that show the film will earn $100 million. 

“Not only does The Woman King exist in the world, but it’s a success in the world… So, our film made money and clearly had a cultural impact, which is what we all hoped for,” she told the outlet. 

“But the Academy made a very loud statement, and for me to stay quiet is to accept that statement,” she added. “So I agreed to speak up, on behalf of Black women whose work has been dismissed in the past, is dismissed now like Alice Diop and Saint Omer, Chinonye Chukwu and Till — and for those who haven’t even stepped on a set yet.”