British actor Idris Elba.
Credit: Reuters Photo
Los Angeles: British star Idris Elba is set to headline the series adaptation of Things Fall Apart, the debut novel of popular Nigerian author Chinua Achebe.
According to entertainment news outlet Variety, Elba will also produce the project through his production banner 22Summers. Actor David Oyelowo's Yoruba Saxon will be the executive producer.
Things Fall Apart, published in 1958 and regarded as one of the greatest novels ever written, was the first book of Achebe's The African Trilogy. It was followed by No Longer at Ease (1960) and Arrow of God (1964).
According to the official description, Things Fall Apart will follow the “story of Okonkwo (Elba), a fearless African 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," it read.
Things Fall Apart has been translated into over 60 languages and won awards like the Nigerian National Merit Award and the Man Booker International Prize. It was adapted for the screen earlier as well. Actor Pete Edochie played Okonkwo in a popular miniseries from 1987.