52 Films by Women Vol 2. 2. QUEEN OF KATWE (Director: Mira Nair)
The poor box office numbers for ‘ Queen of Katwe ’ ($8.7 million worldwide gross to 25 October 2016 against an estimated $15 million production budget) doesn’t tell the whole story. Chess movies are not box office. Here are some comparators. ‘ Searching for Bobby Fischer ’ (1993) written and directed by Steven Zaillian grossed $7.2 million on its release in 1993. It is the top grossing chess-based movie when adjusted for inflation. ‘ Pawn Sacrifice ’ (2014) directed by Edward Zwick grossed $5.6 million from a $19 million budget. ‘ The Luzhin Defence ’ (2000) directed by Marleen Gorris and starring John Turturro and Emily Watson grossed $1 million dollars on its US release in 2001. Before you ask, although it begins like one, Ingmar Bergman’s ‘ The Seventh Seal ’ (1957) is not a chess movie. You might be better off making a film about ‘Monopoly’ (I believe it’s in development). Then there are mainstream Hollywood films with an all African (as opposed to A...