David Oyelowo is finally bringing his passion project “A United Kingdom” to the big screen. A script the actor has been working on for several years; it tells the true story of Prince Seretse Khama of Botswana, who caused an international stir when he married Ruth Williams, a white woman from London in the 1940’s.
David Oyelowo to star in A United Kingdom
Actress Rosamund Pike (“Gone Girl”) is slated to play the role of the royal’s wife-to-be. The interracial union was opposed by their families, as well as the British government, the tribal elders of Botswana and the apartheid government of South Africa. Williams met the then Prince Seretse Khama while he was attending law school in England. Their interracial marriage in 1948 provoked discomfort in both South Africa and, initially, Botswana, and they lived as exiles in England until 1956. Their son, Ian Khama, is currently the democratically elected president of Botswana and the family is cooperating with the project.
The film, “A Marriage of Inconvenience,” based on the Michael Dutfield book with same name, was made in 1990 about the Khamas. A book, “Colour Bar,” has been published about the Khamas’ relationship. In addition, it has also been suggested that the experiences of the Khamas influenced the writing of the 1967 Oscar-winning feature film, “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” which starred Sidney Poitier.
David Oyelowo and wife Jessica
Oyelowo is producing with Rick McCallum, Brunson Green, Justin Moore Lewy and Charlie Mason. The race is on now to find a director who can get cameras rolling by the year’s end. Oyelowo is currently filming Mira Nair’s “Queen Of Katwe” opposite Lupita Nyong’o.
Samantha Ofole-Prince serves as the Senior Entertainment Editor for Trendy Africa. She covers industry-specific news that includes television and film.
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