‘Queen of Katwe’ Trailer is Very Disney and Might Make You Cry
The trailer for the upcoming Mira Nair film Queen of Katwe is here, and if you watch it at your desk, make sure there are some tissues within reach.
A film pitched in the same can-do, emotional vein as recent Disney sports uplifters like McFarland USA and Million Dollar Arm, Queen of Katwe tells the true story of a young Ugandan woman named Phiona Mutesi who becomes a champion chess player after — yes, you’ve probably guessed — learning to believe in herself.
Newcomer Madina Nalwanga stars in the lead role, while Lupita Nyong’o plays her mother and David Oyelowo takes on the role of Phiona’s chess mentor.
The movie opens Sept. 23 as awards season begins, which suggests that Disney has a lot of confidence in this film. Perhaps as the New York Times notes today, the arrival of this movie and others will ensure that the next Oscars isn’t quite #SoWhite.
