Queen of Katwe

Queen of Katwe
Theatrical release poster
Directed byMira Nair
Screenplay byWilliam Wheeler
Based onThe Queen of Katwe
by Tim Crothers
Produced by
Starring
CinematographySean Bobbitt
Edited byBarry Alexander Brown
Music byAlex Heffes
Production
companies
Distributed byWalt Disney Studios
Motion Pictures
Release dates
  • September 10, 2016 (2016-09-10) (TIFF)
  • September 23, 2016 (2016-09-23) (United States)
Running time
124 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguagesEnglish
Luganda
Budget$15 million[2][3]
Box office$10.4 million[3]

Queen of Katwe is a 2016 American biographical sports drama film[4] directed by Mira Nair and written by William Wheeler.[5] Starring David Oyelowo, Lupita Nyong'o, and Madina Nalwanga, the film depicts the life of Phiona Mutesi, a girl living in Katwe, a slum of Kampala, the capital of Uganda. She learns to play chess and becomes a Woman Candidate Master after her victories at World Chess Olympiads.[6]

Adapted from an ESPN magazine article and book by Tim Crothers, the film was produced by Walt Disney Pictures and ESPN Films. Queen of Katwe was screened at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival.[7] The film had a limited release in the United States on September 23, 2016, before a general theatrical release on September 30.[8]

  1. ^ "Queen of Katwe (PG)". bbrc.co.uk. British Board of Film Classification. September 12, 2016. Retrieved September 17, 2016.
  2. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (January 9, 2015). "David Oyelowo & Lupita Nyong'o In Talks To Star In 'Queen Of Katwe' For Disney". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
  3. ^ a b "Queen of Katwe (2016)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
  4. ^ Carissimo, Justin (May 10, 2016). "Lupita Nyong'o and David Oyelowo star in the new trailer for Queen of Katwe". The Independent. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  5. ^ McNary, Dave (January 9, 2015). "David Oyelowo, Lupita Nyong'o in Talks for Disney's 'Queen of Katwe'". Variety. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
  6. ^ Robinson, Joanna (August 16, 2015). "Why Lupita Nyong'o, Not Superheroes, Represents the Future of Disney". Vanity Fair. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
  7. ^ "Toronto To Open With 'The Magnificent Seven'; 'La La Land', 'Deepwater Horizon' Among Galas & Presentations". Deadline Hollywood. July 26, 2016. Archived from the original on July 27, 2016. Retrieved July 26, 2016.
  8. ^ Siegel, Tatiana (April 8, 2016). "Disney's David Oyelowo Drama, 'Queen of Katwe,' Gets Release Date". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 27, 2015.