Fox Searchlight Pictures Presidents Stephen Gilula and Nancy Utley announced today that the company has acquired North American rights to the true story A United Kingdom, directed by Amma Asante (Belle) and written by Guy Hibbert (Eye in the Sky). The film stars David Oyelowo (Selma) and Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl) and is produced by Richard McCallum, Oyelowo, Brunson Green, Peter Heslop, Justin Moore-Lewy and Charlie Mason. The film was financed and produced by Pathé, BBC Films, the BFI and Ingenious Media. A United Kingdom is scheduled to be released on February 17, 2017.
“We welcome Amma Asante back to Searchlight with open arms and couldn’t be more delighted to be entrusted with her beautiful film. This moving love story spans continents while also being intimate and specific, anchored by the powerful performances of David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike,” said Utley and Gilula.
“After such a wonderful experience working together on ‘Belle,’ I am thrilled to be reuniting with the Fox Searchlight team for A United Kingdom. They are the perfect partners to help tell the story of King Seretse Khama and Ruth Williams and to expose audiences to their enduring love,” said director Asante.
“Having had a phenomenal experience with Fox Searchlight on the ‘The Last King of Scotland,’ I’m elated to be back in business with them on a very different, but equally powerful African story,” said Oyelowo.
A United Kingdom is the true story of the forbidden love of King Seretse Khama of Botswana (David Oyelowo) and Ruth Williams (Rosamund Pike), a white woman from London, which caused an international uproar when they decided to marry in the late 1940s just as apartheid was being introduced into South Africa. It was a decision that altered the course of African history.
A United Kingdom is a Pathé, BBC Films, BFI, Ingenious presentation with the participation of Canal + and Cine + of a Yoruba Saxon/Harbinger Pictures/Perfect Weekend/ Film United production of a film by Amma Asante.
