TV series adaptation of Chinua Achebe’s ‘Things Fall Apart’ in development

In an exclusive report by Variety Magazine, Elba in collaboration with David Oyelowo is set to produce Things Fall Apart, a novel written by the Nigerian author, Chinua Achebe.

Albert Chinụalụmọgụ Achebe was born on November 16, 1930, and passed on March 21, 2013. He was a Nigerian novelist, poet, and critic who was regarded as a central figure of modern African literature. His novel Things Fall Apart (1958), remains the most widely studied, translated, and read African novel. It has been translated into over 60 languages and won the Nigerian National Merit Award and the Man Booker International Prize. It is the first book of Achebe’s African Trilogy, followed by No Longer at Ease and Arrow of God. It has previously been adapted as both a film and miniseries, with Pete Edochie starring as Okonkwo in the miniseries.

Although no writer is currently attached to the project, Elba will executive produce along with Gina Carter under their recently-launched 22Summers production banner. David Oyelowo and Amanda N’Duka will executive produce via Yoruba Saxon. Other executive producers are Ben Forkner, Dayo Ogunyemi and Achebe Masterworks also serve as executive producers. A24 is the studio.

The official logline of the series Things Fall Apart reads “The story follows Okonkwo (Elba), a fearless African warrior and leader, as British colonisers disrupt his world. His struggle to maintain power and tradition becomes a heart-wrenching confrontation, embodying the tension between strength, vulnerability, and adaptability.”

Elba recently earned an Emmy nomination for his starring role in the Apple series Hijack. He was nominated four times for his role in the British crime thriller series Luther. Earlier in the year, he partnered with media mogul Mo Abudu for the film, Dust to Dreams. As an actor, Elba is known for his roles in Beasts of No Nation, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, and The Harder They Fall.

As a producer, Oyelowo and Yoruba Saxon most recently produced the Paramount+ series Lawmen: Bass Reeves, with Oyelowo also starring as Reeves. Yoruba Saxon is producing the upcoming Apple TV+ series, Government Cheese. The company has produced features such as The After, The Water Man, A United Kingdom, and the documentary feature, Ferguson Rising.