David Oyelowo and Lupita Nyong’o are currently in talks to star in Queen of Katwe. It is a Disney film chronicling the rise of young Ugandan chess player, Phiona Mutesi. This will be the second film they star in together after the upcoming adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah.
Mira Nair is set as director. The script is penned by William Wheeler, who wrote Nair’s Reluctant Fundamentalist. Shooting for Queen of Katwe is expected to start in the spring. The budget is rumored to be $15 million.
Synopsis:
Katwe is based on Tim Crothers’ 2011 ESPN The Magazinearticle and subsequent book The Queen Of Katwe: A Story Of Life, Chess, And One Extraordinary Girl’s Dream Of Becoming A Grandmaster. It tells the story of Phiona Mutesi, who emerged out of a slum in Uganda to reach the World Chess Olympiad with the help and belief of her coach-mentor Robert Katende. Oyelowo, who’s up for a Golden Globe this weekend, will play Katende. Nyong’o will play Harriet Mutesi, Phiona’s young mother.
David Oyelowo can be seen in Selma. Lupita Nyong’o has several projects in the work including the new Star Wars film. Nyong’o is already an Academy Award winning actress with several other awards under her belt, and Oyelowo is up for several awards for his performance in Selma, so the talent will be abundant. It looks like we’ll get two chances to see how their combined acting abilities play out on the big screen.
Source: Deadline
