Veteran Nollywood actor Bob Manuel Udokwu weighed in on the casting of British actor Idris Elba as Okonkwo in the upcoming film adaptation of Chinua Achebe’s classic novel Things Fall Apart.
In a recent interview on The Morning Brief, Udokwu engaged in a lively discussion about the current state of Nollywood and the importance of collaboration within the film industry.
When asked about what’s lacking in Nigeria’s film sector, Udokwu stated, “Collaboration. I mentioned years ago that Nollywood has matured; we now have world-class talent that doesn’t need much to prove itself to the world.” In response to the debate over Elba’s casting as Okonkwo, the actor stated that, while he admires the British actor, great Nigerian actors might have played the role.
He explained, “There’s this conversation about Idris Elba being cast as Okonkwo in the Hollywood make of Things Fall Apart and I don’t have anything against that as an actor but I think that we have people who are top-class actors in Nigeria who can play that role better knowing where that story is coming from but that’s another story for another day.”
Udoku underlined the importance of collaboration across the film industry, pointing out that it is already taking shape.
“What Nollywood needs now is collaboration and it’s beginning to happen. I happen to be part of another production that involves to major actors in India and another Hollywood-based actress. We need to have more collaborations with our counterparts in Europe and north America and it’s happening gradually. The bundle of talents we have in Nigeria is awesome,” he remarked.
In 1987, ‘Things Fall Apart’, which Amazon ranked one of the 100 books that must be read in a lifetime, was adapted into a very popular miniseries directed by David Orere and shown on Nigerian television by the Nigeria Television Authority.
It starred several established actors, including Edochie in the lead role of Okonkwo and Justus Esiri as Obierika, with Nkem Owoh and Sam Loco Efe playing minor roles.
Things Fall Apart was published in 1958, when Achebe was only 28 years old, and is widely recognised as one of Africa’s most important works of literature, having been translated into more than 50 languages and selling over 10 million copies.
According to Variety, the TV adaptation is being created by A24, an American independent production firm. Elba will play the lead part (Okonkwo) and executive produce. Other executive producers on the project include David Oyelowo and Amanda N’Duka through Yoruba Saxon, Ben Forkner, Dayo Ogunyemi, and Achebe Masterworks.
Although no writer has been assigned to the project, it has been reported that Elba would executive produce alongside Gina Carter under their newly founded 22 Summers production company. The supporting cast, staff, and location have yet to be revealed.
