Hollywood is coming to South Africa again. This time it is Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o who will be working on a US flick here.The 31-year-old Mexican-Kenyan actress is set to start shooting in autumn for her new role in the Disney movie Queen of Katwe, alongside Selma movie star David Oyelowo.
Not many details have been revealed about the local location of the film but US reports are abuzz about the two stars heading to South Africa and Uganda – the second location for the film.
According to review site Deadline, the film is based on the true story of Ugandan chess player Phiona Mutesi, who becomes a chess prodigy with the assistance of her coach Robert Kittened.
Mutesi’s story was first penned by Tim Crothers in 2011 for ESPN magazine titled The Queen Of Katwe: A Story Of Life, Chess, And One Extraordinary Girl’s Dream Of Becoming A Grandmaster.
In the movie Nyong’o will play Mutesi’s mother Harriet Mutesi while British-Nigerian actor Oyelowo will play the role of Katende, Mutesi’s coach.
The movie will be directed by Mira Nair and William Wheeler wrote the script. Wheeler also created the screenplay for Nair’s previous film, The Reluctant Fundamentalist.
Nyong’o is famous for her role as Patsey in 12 Years A Slave, a role for which she won 25 awards including Best Supporting actress at the 86th Academy Awards.
Oyelowo, is best known for his roles in several films including Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Middle of Nowhere, Lincoln and also received much praise for his role in The Butler.
Currently the 38-year-old stars as Martin Luther King Junior in the movie Selma, a historical drama co-produced by Oprah Winfrey, that will be screened locally from February 6.