Idris Elba will help bring an all-time classic novel to the screen. Elba will star in and executive produce a TV series adaptation of the acclaimed 1958 Nigerian novel “Things Fall Apart,” an individual with knowledge of the project told IndieWire.
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The series is being produced by A24 and Elba’s 22Summers banner . David Oyelowo’s production company Yoruba Saxon is also executive producing the project.
Nigerian author Chinua Achebe wrote “Things Fall Apart” in 1958, the first book of The African Trilogy as followed by “No Longer at Ease” and “Arrow of God,” and it became one of the first books by a Nigerian author to receive such global acclaim. It has been named one of the 12 Greatest Books Ever Written by Encyclopedia Brittanica, one of the “Best Novels of the Century” by Time Magazine, and one of the “100 Novels That Shaped the World” by the BBC.
Per the synopsis, the book follows Okonkwo (Elba), a fearless warrior and leader who is resolute about preserving his people and culture. As British colonizers disrupt his world, Okonkwo’s struggle to maintain power and tradition spirals into a heart-wrenching confrontation. His fierce resolve, a fatal flaw in the face of unstoppable change, makes him an unforgettable character, embodying the tension between strength, vulnerability and adaptability.
No writer or showrunner has been attached for the series just yet, and the series does not have a network at this time.
Elba will produce under his 22Summers banner along with his producing partner Gina Carter. Oyelowo and Amanda N’Duka will executive produce under Oyelowo’s Yoruba Saxon banner, alongside Ben Forkner, Dayo Ogunyemi, and Achebe Masterworks also executive producing.
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“Things Fall Apart” has made it to the screen in some fashion in the past, including in a 1971 film and a 1987 Nigerian miniseries, and a theatrical production played on the Kennedy Center stage in 1999. But its influence on pop culture has been far reaching. The Roots named an album after the book, Ryan Coogler named a character in “Black Panther” as inspired by the book, and Achebe has influenced countless artists and public figures. Margaret Atwood called Achebe a “magical writer,” Barack Obama described the book as a “masterpiece,” Nelson Mandela called Achebe a “freedom fighter,” and Toni Morrison “African literature is incomplete and unthinkable without the works of Chinua Achebe.”
Elba was just nominated for an Emmy for his work in the Apple TV+ series “Hijack,” and he’ll next be seen in Kathryn Bigelow’s next feature for Netflix.
Elba is represented by The Artists Partnership, Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole, and The Lede Company. Oyelowo is represented by CAA, Hamilton Hodell, Del Shaw Moonves Tanaka Finkelstein & Lezcano and ID. ,
Variety first reported the news.
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