Queen of katwe phiona movie#

All of those things add to inclusive storytelling. And itРІР‚в„ўs set in a different place and a different culture. And it was made with and by extremely strong women. But itРІР‚в„ўs also a story told from a female perspective and a female-empowered point-of-view. Queen of Katwe is a true story instead of a fictional story. ItРІР‚в„ўs a lot more than that for me, and I think for Disney,РІР‚Сњ he says. РІР‚СљOne of the things in and around diversity or inclusion that I think gets overlooked is people simplify it to something that has to do with race or culture. (It also may re-team DuVernay with her Selma star Oyelowo, who says theyРІР‚в„ўre РІР‚Сљin talks.РІР‚Сњ) ItРІР‚в„ўs also another opportunity to bring diversity to the creators working for Disney, even if Nagenda says thatРІР‚в„ўs РІР‚Сљnot a mission, per se.РІР‚Сњ The movie, which has been kept quiet since it was announced earlier this year, is the culmination of NagendaРІР‚в„ўs years-long pursuit of DuVernay to direct something.

Queen of katwe phiona movie#

in Selma, was similarly interested in taking on the role of Phiona MutesiРІР‚в„ўs chess coach, Robert Katende.Р”В«ut even if Katwe isnРІР‚в„ўt a blockbuster tentpole, the next big movie on his slate might be: director Ava DuVernayРІР‚в„ўs adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time.

David Oyelowo, hot off of his turn as Martin Luther King, Jr. РІР‚СљI was weeping.РІР‚Сњ The Oscar-winning actress said yes immediately. РІР‚СљI got 10 pages into it and I had to put it down,РІР‚Сњ NyongРІР‚в„ўo says. The part of PhionaРІР‚в„ўs strong, skeptical mother, Nakku Harriet, had been written expressly for NyongРІР‚в„ўo, who-coincidentally-had been NairРІР‚в„ўs intern when she was making her 2006 movie The Namesake. Enter: Lupita NyongРІР‚в„ўo.Р”В«y late 2014, the Queen of Katwe script had had nearly a year of rewrites and was in good shape. He was lucky in that his boss at Disney, Sean Bailey, let him spend money on the film without a formal greenlight and without much interference, but Nagenda knew he had to really have the goods if he wanted to get the movie made. He brought on Nair, who in turn recruited her Reluctant Fundamentalist screenwriter William Wheeler to punch up the script. I used all of the equity I had built at that moment to put forward this movie.Р”Вisney executive vice president of production Tendo NagendaР”В«ut all the while he worked on Katwe. They just, like their protagonistРІР‚в„ўs signature move, had to be smart and aggressive.

And they were going to get Disney-the home of Star Wars and Marvel and animated movies about lost fish-to make it. That day, in the bamboo grove of her garden, the two made a pact: They were going to make a movie about Phiona Mutesi, a chess champion from the Kampala slum of Katwe. РІР‚СљAnd I was like, РІР‚ВOh, IРІР‚в„ўm with my family, do you want to meet tomorrow?РІР‚в„ў SheРІР‚в„ўs like, РІР‚ВNo, just bring РІР‚Вem!РІР‚в„ўРІР‚Сњ РІР‚СљI called her from the street somewhere she said РІР‚ВOh, IРІР‚в„ўm at home, why donРІР‚в„ўt you come up?РІР‚в„ўРІР‚Сњ Nagenda remembers. She didnРІР‚в„ўt mind she invited him over for tea. Mira Nair didnРІР‚в„ўt really know Nagenda, but he happened to be visiting family in her backyard in the Ugandan city of Kampala, so he called her out of the blue. It was winter 2013 the Disney exec had spent months quietly developing a movie about a young girl in Uganda who became an international chess star, and now he knew who he wanted to direct it.