Skip to main content
Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
More On:
Jada Pinkett Smith
-
When Will ‘Live With Kelly And Mark’ Return With Live Episodes?
-
Rob Schneider Resurrects Will Smith Oscars Slap Drama As He Goes Off On The Actor: “He’s Really An A**hole”
-
‘Riverdale’s Lili Reinhart Has Alopecia, Reveals She Received Her Diagnosis During “Major Depressive Episode”
-
Jada Pinkett Smith Gives Update On Where She Stands With Will Smith After Separation Bombshell On ‘The Drew Barrymore Show’: “We’re Staying Together Forever”
Netflix has a new glossy docuseries full of sex, gore, and Game of Thrones-esque political drama. African Queens: Njinga brings one of the most fascinating warrior queens in history to life like never before. Learn about Njinga’s fighting prowess, political acumen, and harem of male lovers (hello!) over the course of four episodes.
African Queens: Njinga is the first installment in a new series from Jada Pinkett Smith’s Westbrook Studios and splashy docuseries company Nutopia. The documentary series is intended to explore the true stories of Africa’s most fascinating rulers. Season 1 of African Queens looks at Njinga, the 17th century warrior queen of Ndongo and Matamba. The show, which is narrated by Jada Pinkett Smith, is a mix of dramatic recreations and interviews with leading scholarly experts.
Here’s everything you need to know about Netflix’s new docuseries African Queens: Njinga…
Who Narrates African Queens: Njinga? None Other Than EP Jada Pinkett Smith
Does the narrator of African Queens: Njinga sound familiar to you? That’s because it’s the show’s very own executive producer, Jada Pinkett Smith. In press notes shared by Netflix, Pinkett Smith calls herself a “historian” and reveals that her daughter Willow Smith inspired the new series.
“I really wanted to represent Black women,” Pinkett Smith said. “We don’t often get to see or hear stories about Black queens, and that was really important for me, as well as for my daughter, and just for my community to be able to know those stories because there are tons of them!”
“The sad part is that we don’t have ready access to these historical women who were so powerful and were the backbones of African nations.”
So how did Pinkett Smith and her fellow producers pull sources together for African Queens: Njinga?
Who Are the Experts in African Queens: Njinga?
African Queens: Njinga pulls together a team of scholars, historians, professors, anthropologists, and even a real life African royal together to help fill in the historical context for Njinga’s life story:
- Luke Pepera, Anthropologist
- Mary Hicks, Assistant Professor, University of Chicago
- Prof. Olivette Otele, SOAS, University of London
- Rosa Cruz e Silva, Historian and Dir. National Archives of Angola (1992-2008)
- Cécile Fromont, History of Art Professor, Yale University
- Dr. Kellie Carter Jackson, Africana Studies, Wellesley College
- Dr. Edson Burton Writer and Historian
- Queen Diambi Kabatusuila, Woman King of the Bakwa Luntu People
The series was written by Peres Owino and NneNne Iwuji.
Who Plays Njinga in African Queens: Njinga on Netflix?
Captivated by the actress playing Njinga in African Queens? Meet Adesuwa Oni (who sometimes is credited as Adele Oni).
If she looks familiar to you, it could be because she played Téa in The Witcher, and she has appeared in such shows as Hanna and Years and Years.
You can follow Adesuwa Oni on Instagram @theadesuwaoni.
Will There Be a Second Season of African Queens: Njinga on Netflix?
Yes! There will be another season of African Queens, but it won’t cover Njinga. Instead, Deadline reports that Season 2 will cover the most famous African queen in history, Cleopatra. The producers are also working on pitches for other queens to feature should Netflix greenlight further seasons. (My suggestion: DO AMANIRENAS NEXT!!)
