Idris Elba to star as Okonkwo in David Oyelowo’s ‘Things Fall Apart’

Idris Elba is set to star as Okonkwo in a new TV adaptation of Chinua Achebe’s novel ‘Things Fall Apart,’ which will be produced by David Oyelowo’s A24.

The project is in early development with no writer or streaming platform announced yet. ‘Things Fall Apart’ is the debut novel of Nigerian author Chinua Achebe, first published in 1958. The novel depicts the events of pre-colonial life in Igboland, a cultural area in modern-day southeastern Nigeria, and the subsequent appearance of European missionaries and colonial forces in the late 19th century.

The novel follows the life of Okonkwo, an influential leader of the fictional Igbo (“Ibo” in the novel) clan of Umuofia. Among other things, he is a feared warrior and a local wrestling champion.

‘Things Fall Apart’ is regarded as a milestone in Anglophone African literature and for the perception of African literature in the West. In English, it has come to be seen as the archetypal modern African novel and is read in Nigeria and throughout Africa.

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It is studied widely in Europe, India, and North America, where it has spawned numerous secondary and tertiary analytical works. Considered Achebe’s magnum opus, it has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide. Time magazine included the novel in its TIME 100 Best English-language Novels from 1923 to 2005, and it has been translated into more than 50 languages.

In April 1961, the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation produced a radio drama called ‘Okonkwo’ as an adaptation of the novel, featuring Wole Soyinka in a supporting role. In 1970, Hollywood lawyer Edward Mosk and his wife Fern, who wrote the screenplay, made the novel into a film.

In 1987, the book was famously made into a successful miniseries directed by David Orere and broadcast on Nigerian television by the Nigerian Television Authority. It starred Pete Edochie in the lead role of Okonkwo and Justus Esiri as Obierika, with Nkem Owoh and Sam Loco Efe in supporting roles.

In 1999, the American hip-hop band The Roots released their fourth studio album, Things Fall Apart, in reference to Achebe’s novel.