A Most Violent Year saw him tackling corruption as a dodgy DA. But for his latest role rising star David Oyelowo is to play South African royalty in a true life drama from Belle director Amma Asante.
A United Kingdom follows Seretse Khama, a controversial figure whose marriage to Ruth Williams, an Englishwoman, threatened to destroy his political career in the 1940s and 50s. Hailing from the British Protectorate of Bechuanaland (which became Botswana), Khama found himself under attack from his family and his nation. He went on to take the Presidency of Botswana.
Rosamund Pike is to play Williams and the script is by Guy Hibbert. Oyelowo produces alongside Rick McCallum and Pathe International. He describes the film as “an epic love story”.
The movie should go some way to cementing Oyelowo’s credentials in Hollywood. He attracted great attention for his role as Martin Luther King Jr in Selma and is about to be seen in HBO one-hander Nightingale.
