Lupita Nyong'o to Star in Mira Nair's 'Queen of Katwe'
Thursday, November 20, 2014 at 6:42PM 
Great news, Lupita fans! The selective Oscar-winning actress has signed on to a new project, the next film from acclaimed director Mira Nair (Mississippi Masala, Monsoon Wedding).
Word around the project has been surprisingly quiet-- it's not yet listed on IMDb, nor has there seem to have been an official press announcement-- but Nyong'o and Nair announced the news themselves at the Glamour Women of the Year Awards on Nov. 11. The project is an adaptation of the sportswriter Tim Crothers' book The Queen of Katwe, which tells the real-life story of Phiona Mutesi, a chess prodigy from the slums of Kampala, Uganda.
The project is set up at Disney, according to Nair, and it seems like a collaboration between these two women has been a long time coming-- Nyong'o was a student of Nair's, and their families have been long acquainted. (You can see footage of the announcement and an interview here.)
Lupita Nyong'o has had such a quick rise to acclaim and stardom, it's easy to believe she's got the bends. It's been hard, as a fan, to be patient during the long wait for new casting announcements, but her selectiveness looks like it may yield results. Between the Star Wars sequel she just wrapped and the adaptation of Americanah underway with Plan B Entertainment, to say nothing of her multi-year contract as the face of Lancôme, her future in the cultural landscape is looking more and more secure. Let's hope the projects keep on coming.
Which upcoming Lupita project are you most looking forward to? What do you hope she'll announce next?
Reader Comments (7)
STORM STORM I WANT STORM
I was seriously concerned that Lupita would be one of those supporting actress wins who gets forgotten too quickly by Hollywood. I am SO SO on board for all of the good things coming up!
I hope she keeps securing good roles and be more than fashion icon. She seems to be making interesting choices given how difficult for women of color to get central role in movies. So far she'll be headlining 2 movies with high profile filmmakers (Pitt's Plan B and Nair), a part in mega blockbuster and voice work in big project (The Jungle Book). Salaam Bombay was my favorite film ever. I hope Nair finds magic like that once again.
That is awesome. I like Mira Nair though her last 2 films weren't very good. I hope it's a good project for both of them.
I hope Almodovar uses her. She's fluent in Spanish, He has never done a movie featuring black Spaniards, He could also cast Phylicia Rashad---also fluent in Spanish..
I think this story sounds very boring. Lupita deserves better! She has not landed any good roles except Star Wars. Maybe McQueen can use her again in his new movie.
Lupita will never be forgotten in Hollywood like the other black actresses. She's one of a kind. Plus she's in every magazine, billboard nationwide. She might the one who will break barrers for people like her.