Lupita Nyong’o: ‘Queen of Katwe’ Made Me Cry

Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o will be starring in Disney’s upcoming biographical drama Queen of Katwe as the mother of ten-year-old Ugandan Phiona Mutesi.  Phiona, played by newcomer Madina Nalwanga, dreams of becoming an international chess champion after missionary Robert Katende, portrayed by David Oyelow, teaches her how to  play chess, but Nyong’o’s character is hesitant to let her daughter get her hopes up.

In a new featurette released by Disney for the film, Nyong’o reveals that she got emotional upon reading the story which is based on a true story.

“When I first read The Queen of Katwe, I was about 10 pages in when I broke down and cried because I had been so inspired,” she says in the video.

“The thing that really struck me when I first read the script was how heartwarming it is, how full of joy in spite of a very difficult life these people manage to have,” Oyelowo states in the featurette.

Nyong’o, Oyelowo, and director Mira Nair also discuss what it was like to make the film and be with the real Phiona and Robert on set. “They’re always an incredible source of both inspiration and authenticity,” Oyelowo says of them.

“I felt very privileged and honored to be able to usher these children through this,” Nyong’o says on working with Nalwanga. “I just said to them that this is our opportunity to tell the world your story. And that was a moment where real life and the world of cinema, that line no longer exists.”

Read Disney’s synopsis for the film below:

For 10-year-old Phiona Mutesi (Nalwanga) and her family, life in the impoverished slum of Katwe in Kampala, Uganda, is a constant struggle. Her mother, Harriet (Nyong’o), is fiercely determined to take care of her family and works tirelessly selling vegetables in the market to make sure her children are fed and have a roof over their heads. When Phiona meets Robert Katende (Oyelowo), a soccer player turned missionary who teaches local children chess, she is captivated. Chess requires a good deal of concentration, strategic thinking and risk taking, all skills which are applicable in everyday life, and Katende hopes to empower youth with the game. Phiona is impressed by the intelligence and wit the game requires and immediately shows potential. Recognizing Phiona’s natural aptitude for chess and the fighting spirit she’s inherited from her mother, Katende begins to mentor her, but Harriet is reluctant to provide any encouragement, not wanting to see her daughter disappointed. As Phiona begins to succeed in local chess competitions, Katende teaches her to read and write in order to pursue schooling. She quickly advances through the ranks in tournaments, but breaks away from her family to focus on her own life. Her mother eventually realizes that Phiona has a chance to excel and teams up with Katende to help her fulfill her extraordinary potential, escape a life of poverty and save her family.

Watch the “Labor of Love” featurette below as well as the trailer for Queen of Katwe:

Queen of Katwe opens in limited release on September 23 and will be widely-released September 30.