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Wheeler believed that the film could fit within the Disney tradition of films about "underdog" sports stories, noting that: Nair filmed a short high-concept and presented it to Disney, to alleviate the studio's concerns about the film being entirely set in Africa. She invited screenwriter William Wheeler to come to Kampala to conduct interviews with the principal figures as a foundation for a screenplay. Mira Nair met with Mutesi, her mother Harriet, and the chess group run by coach Robert Katende. I love any story about people who make something from what appears to be nothing." Nair was captivated by the story, stating, "I have always been surrounded by these local stories but hadn’t done anything in Uganda since 1991. With executive approval from studio president Sean Bailey, Nagenda went to visit Mira Nair at her Ugandan home to recruit her to direct a film about Mutesi. Tendo Nagenda, Walt Disney Studios' senior creative executive, developed the project into production. Published by ESPN in 2012, it was optioned that same year by Walt Disney Pictures. Tim Crothers wrote The Queen of Katwe: A Story of Life, Chess, and One Extraordinary Girl's Dream of Becoming a Grandmaster, which chronicled Phiona Mutesi's life.