After kicking off negotiations at TIFF earlier in the month, Fox Searchlight Pictures has acquired the North American rights to Amma Asante’s “A United Kingdom,” a press release confirmed. The politically-charged interracial romance stars David Oyelowo (“Selma”) and Rosamund Pike (“Gone Girl”).
The film is based on a true story, and draws inspiration from Susan Williams’ 2007 nonfiction book “Colour Bar: The Triumph of Seretse Khama and His Nation.” The love story centers on Seretse Khama (Oyelowo), King of Bechuanaland (modern Botswana), and Ruth Williams (Pike), a British office worker.
The pair wed in 1947 despite facing intense disapproval from both of their families and the British and South African governments, and their romance ultimately changed history. As Asante told Women and Hollywood, “It’s not a story of how they fall in love; it’s the story of what happens once they do — the fallout.” Asante said she was drawn to the project because she wanted to tell a story “that might normally be told solely through white and male eyes through [her] gaze, and to slant the perspective to a certain extent because of that.”
Asante and Fox Searchlight previously teamed up for “Belle,” Asante’s portrait of Dido Elizabeth Belle (Gugu Mbatha-Raw, “Beyond the Lights”), the mixed-race daughter of an admiral who was raised by her aristocratic great-uncle and aunt. Her lineage and race affected her everyday life, especially her future romantic prospects. “Belle” is also based on a true story.
“We welcome Amma Asante back to Searchlight with open arms and couldn’t be more delighted to be entrusted with her beautiful film,” commented Nancy Utley and Stephen Gilula, Presidents of Fox Searchlight Pictures. “This moving love story spans continents while also being intimate and specific, anchored by the powerful performances of David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike.”
Asante described the Fox Searchlight team as “the perfect partners to help tell the story of King Seretse Khama and Ruth Williams and to expose audiences to their enduring love.”
“A United Kingdom” will hit theaters February 17, 2017, meaning it won’t be eligible for the upcoming awards season, but we’re hopeful that it will be remembered this time next year.
Asante’s next film, “Where Hands Touch,” is in pre-production. Amandla Stenberg (“The Hunger Games”) stars in the romance set against the backdrop of WWII Germany.
