Idris Elba plays Okonkwo and is an executive producer of the TV series Things Fall Apart.

​Idris Elba will star and executive produce a TV series adaptation of Chinua Achebe's literary classic. Things fall apart.

Elba is set to play the novel's protagonist, Okonkwo, a leader of the Igbo village of Umuofia who, dismayed by colonial rule, struggled with his low tolerance for weakness in the face of the arrival of British missionaries.

Accordingly diversityElba recently launched a production company, 22Summers, in collaboration with Gina Carter. The banner is set to executive produce the series alongside David Oyelowo and Amanda N'Duka, who will also hold the role of executive producer under Yoruba Saxon. In addition, Ben Forkner, Dayo Ogunyemi and especially Achebe Masterworks, mainly managed by the late writer's family estate, are involved as executive producers.

Chinua Achebes Things fall apart is a work known worldwide that has received wide recognition in the scientific and literary worlds. The novel provides a counterpoint to colonial literature as it delves deeply into the study of pre-colonial African culture, particularly the Igbo tradition. Things fall apart is the first part of Achebe's famous Africa trilogy, which also contains: No longer relaxed And Arrow of God.

The 1958 novel is Achebe's debut in literature and won the Igbo luminary his first literary prize, the Margaret Wong Memorial Prize, the following year. Achebe has received several literary awards including the Man Booker International Prize, the Fonlon-Nichols Award, the Nigerian National Trophy for Literature, the Nigerian National Order of Merit and the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic.

The announcement of Elba's involvement in the upcoming series was a work that brought great honor and pride to Nigerians and sparked some controversy. Some social media users found Elba's casting as Okonkwo distasteful, as his ethnic background precludes Nigerian ancestry, particularly Igbo ancestry. Elba was born in London to a Sierra Leonean father and a Ghanaian mother, both countries in West Africa.

Nollywood, the Nigerian film industry, is considered the second largest in the world and has produced over 2,500 films per year since its inception in the 1980s. The classic novel in the early years of Nollywood Things fall apart received its first African-produced visual adaptation as a miniseries starring legendary Igbo actor Pete Edochie in the role of Okonkwo. Edochie's acclaimed portrayal of the stoic Okonkwo has cemented his inextricable bond with the character.

Edochie's acclaimed performance as Okonkwo set the benchmark for future adaptations of the novel. This has raised concerns among lovers of the book, who fear that Elba's potentially imperfect portrayal of the Igbo accent could affect the film's credibility.

“Casting Idris Elba as Okonkwo Everything in “Things Fall Apart” is wrong. It's so wrong, there's nothing right about it. This is a history of pre-colonial Igbo land. “Will he speak Igbo or will he condition his tongue to imitate the Nigerian accent?” shared X user GayleZoie.

Given the rich rolodex of Igbo actors in Nollywood, many saw this production as an opportunity to introduce Nollywood actors into the mainstream sector of global cinema.

“Idris Elba is considered “occupied”okonkwo“In the new TV series adaptation of Chinua Achebe's 'Things Fall Apart,'” shared X user Bekee_chetanna. “I don’t seem to understand why an actor like Chiwetalu Ejiofor is still alive and well. Let’s think I’m fine, na!”

The backlash is partial because there are commentators who find Elba's casting brilliant, including Achebe's children. Nwando Achebe, the daughter of the late literary icon and CEO of Achebe Masterworks, expressed her excitement on social media and wished her father could have witnessed the moment. “I'm over the moon about it. My only wish is that Dad had been here to see this!”

“It took two decades to develop,” Chidi Achebe, the late writer’s son and CEO of Achebe Masterworks, shared on LinkedIn. “The board and executives of Achebe Masterworks are pleased to present the upcoming television series adaptation of the African (well, global) classic 'Things Fall Apart', starring the fantastic Idris Elba (as protagonist Okonkwo) and the incomparable David Oyelowo (in an as yet undetermined lead role) among other things.”

To date, no author has been commissioned to assist with this in-depth exposition Things fall apartOyelowo's role has not yet been determined. However, there is hope among the Nigerian diaspora that Nollywood actors will be given the opportunity to participate in the film, which could help boost Nollywood's global reputation in the film industry.