Viola Davis is speaking out on the social media boycott of her latest film, The Woman King.

Variety reported on Monday (Sept. 19) that movie watchers believes the film didn’t address the enslavement of people, to which the Oscar award-winning actress replied: “You’re not going to win an argument on Twitter. We entered the story where the kingdom was in flux, at a crossroads.”

She continued, “They were looking to find some way to keep their civilization and kingdom alive. It wasn’t until the late 1800s that they were decimated. Most of the story is fictionalized. It has to be.”

Davis’ husband and the film’s producer, Julius Tennon, added, “We are now what we call ‘edu-tainment.’ It’s history, but we have to take license. We have to entertain people. If we just told a history lesson, which we very well could have, that would be a documentary. [But], unfortunately, people wouldn’t be in the theaters doing the same thing we saw this weekend. If people want to learn more, they can investigate more.”

During an appearance at the Toronto International Film Festival, Davis asserted that the film could connect to all audiences, not only Black women. “There was a sense that our stories aren’t universal and can’t reach the white man or woman or the Hispanic man or woman,” Davis said. “I feel human stories are for everyone, not just Black consumption.” According to the actress, when a white woman asked if Davis was surprised that she could relate to the story that follows African female warriors, the actress said she wasn’t. “I know my story can reach you as your story can reach me,” she responded. “The only one it surprises is you.”

REVOLT previously reported that The Woman King debuted at No. 1 with $19 million across 3,765 North American theaters during its opening week. The movie received an A+ grade in CinemaScore exit polls and a 95 percent rating on Comscore and Screen Engine’s PostTrak.