Golden Globe nominee David Oyelowo and Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong’o are certainly on a roll as they proactively align themselves with roles that will undoubtedly increase their marketability.
Not too long ago, it was confirmed that both actors were signed on to star in the film adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s bestseller, Americanah, which Brad Pitt’s production company, Plan B is reportedly producing.
Now both Oyelowo and Nyong’o are dipping into another project that also carries echoes of their heritage. Disney’s Queen of Katwe, is a coming of age story about a girl from a modest village in Uganda who under the tutelage of her dedicated coach, ends up being a renowned chess player. The film which will be directed by Mira Nair (Mississippi Masala), is being resurrected from an article that appeared in an ESPN Magazine and also the book by Tim Crothers – The Queen of Katwe: A Story of Life, Chess, and One Extraordinary Girl’s Dream of Becoming a Grandmaster, which was published in 2012.
Oyelowo is currently being feted by the chimes of award season for his critically acclaimed portrayal as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Ava DuVernay’s Selma, while Nyong’o is hard at work in the upcoming Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens. She is also attached to another Disney film, The Jungle Book where she will provide the voice for Rakcha, the motherwolf who adopts Mowgli.
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