Disney has revealed the first look of biographical drama, "The Queen of Katwe," which features Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong'o and follows the true story of a Ugandan chess prodigy, according to Entertainment Weekly.
The film, directed by Mira Nair, of "Monsoon Wedding" fame, also stars David Oyelowo and newcomer Madina Nalwanga. The feature is an adaptation of Tim Crothers' book, "The Queen of Katwe: A Story of Life, Chess, and One Extraordinary Girl's Dream of Becoming a Grandmaster," according to Indie Wire.
"The Queen of Katwe" is based on the life of Phiona Mutesi, a young girl who grew up in the slums of Kampala, Uganda, and followed her dream to become a chess grandmaster. Nalwanga stars in the lead role as Phiona Mutesi, whereas Nyong'o plays the role of her mother, Harriet Mutesi, in the film. Oyelowo features in the role of a missionary who teaches local children how to play chess. "The Queen of Katwe," is slated to hit theaters in fall, according to The Mary Sue.
"It was so great to go back home," said Nyong'o, speaking about the film's shooting at the D23 Expo in August last year, Entertainment Weekly reported. "I'm from East Africa. I'm from Kenya, which is just next door to Uganda,"
"This is a story about the commitment to a dream even in the most discouraging of situations. The slum of Katwe is a very difficult place to live, but you see these people living there with dignity and making it day by day. And so to go there and to have that environment to work from really did sober us and enliven us," she added.
A photo posted by Lupita Nyong'o (@lupitanyongo) on Jan 5, 2016 at 7:32pm PST
