British-American actor, director and producer David Oyelowo is set to executive produce a TV series adaptation of Chinua Achebe’s seminal 1958 novel, “Things Fall Apart”.
Oyelowo, through his production company Yoruba Saxon, will produce alongside Amanda N’Duka, with Idris Elba and Gina Carter also serving as executive producers under their newly launched 22Summers production banner. Ben Forkner, Dayo Ogunyemi, and Achebe Masterworks will also serve as executive producers. Idris Elba will also star in the movie.
David Oyelowo took to Instagram to announce the development, sharing the news. “To work with brother @idriselba and @a24 on one of Africa’s most iconic novels by Chinua Achebe! What else could one ask for. All glory be!! #thingsfallapart,” he wrote.
According to the official description of Things Fall Apart, the story follows Okonkwo (Elba), a fearless African warrior and leader fighting to preserve his people and culture in the face of British colonisation. The series has no writer attached yet, and it is not currently set up at a streaming service or network.
The novel “Things Fall Apart” has been translated into over 60 languages and has won numerous awards, including the Nigerian National Merit Award and the Man Booker International Prize. The novel has previously been adapted into a film and miniseries, with Pete Edochie starring as Okonkwo in the ministries.
Things Fall Apart is the first book of Chinua Achebe’s African Trilogy, complemented by its successors No Longer at Ease and Arrow of God. David Oyelowo, who recently produced Paramount+’s Lawmen: Bass Reeves, which he also starred in, is also producing Apple TV+’s upcoming series Government Cheese, featuring Oyelowo in a starring role. His production company Yoruba Saxon has also produced several notable films, including The After, The Water Man, A United Kingdom, and the documentary feature Ferguson Rising.
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