Disney’s forthcoming Queen of Katwe biopic tells the true story of Ugandan chess prodigy Phiona Mutesi, played by newcomer Madina Nalwanga. Lupita Nyong’o stars as her mother, Harriet Mutesi. David Oyelowo plays soccer player turned local missionary and chess mentor to the young Mutesi, Robert Katenda. Yesterday, Disney teased the theatrical poster for the movie. Today they share the film’s official first trailer.
Based on a book of the same name by American author and Sports Illustrated writer Tim Crothers, the film is directed by New York-based Indian filmmaker Mira Nair. Shooting took place in South Africa and Uganda.
“It was so great to go back home,” Nyong’o said at the D23 Expo in August. “I’m from East Africa. I’m from Kenya, which is just next door to Uganda.” She continued “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.”
Queen of Katwe arrives in U.S. theaters on September 23, 2016. Read up more via the official boilerplate below:
For 10-year-old Phiona Mutesi (Nalwanga) and her family, life in the impoverished slum of Katwe in Kampala, Uganda, is a constant struggle. Her mother, Harriet (Nyong’o), is fiercely determined to take care of her family and works tirelessly selling vegetables in the market to make sure her children are fed and have a roof over their heads. When Phiona meets Robert Katende (Oyelowo), a soccer player turned missionary who teaches local children chess, she is captivated. Chess requires a good deal of concentration, strategic thinking and risk taking, all skills which are applicable in everyday life, and Katende hopes to empower youth with the game. Phiona is impressed by the intelligence and wit the game requires and immediately shows potential. Recognizing Phiona’s natural aptitude for chess and the fighting spirit she’s inherited from her mother, Katende begins to mentor her, but Harriet is reluctant to provide any encouragement, not wanting to see her daughter disappointed. As Phiona begins to succeed in local chess competitions, Katende teaches her to read and write in order to pursue schooling. She quickly advances through the ranks in tournaments, but breaks away from her family to focus on her own life. Her mother eventually realizes that Phiona has a chance to excel and teams up with Katende to help her fulfill her extraordinary potential, escape a life of poverty and save her family. Disney’s “Queen of Katwe” will open in U.S. theaters on September 23, 2016.
