The linkage of the Disney empire with the rise of a chess champion in Uganda in Queen of Katwe might at first seem as unlikely as the marriage of Winnie the Pooh to the Little Mermaid. But such unions are craved by Hollywood, which is under fire for its lack of female characters and absence of "diversity".The inner tale of how the movie was signed off would make a fascinating screenplay.Key players appear to have been Oscar- winning Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave) and Oscar-nominated Mira Nair who were offered a film that allows the Disneyesque framework of the sporting underdog triumphing through will and stamina – but not in an entirely African context. Expect complaints that the Africa in Queen of Katwe is portrayed not as a wildlife sanctuary but as a confusion of corruption, theft, gangsterism, disease, failure and unceasing labour to survive.Disney likes to think big — so for it to risk assets on what in world terms is a minute film (neither superhero nor CGI driven) is brav...
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