Idris Elba stars in series adaptation of novel “Things Fall Apart”

Idris Elba will help bring an all-time classic to the screen. Elba will star in and executive produce a TV series adaptation of the acclaimed 1958 Nigerian novel “Things Fall Apart,” a person with knowledge of the project told IndieWire.

The series is produced by A24 and Elba's 22Summers banner. David Oyelowo's production company Yoruba Saxon is also executive producing the project.

Nigerian author Chinua Achebe wrote Things Fall Apart in 1958, the first book in the African Trilogy, followed by No Longer at Ease and Arrow of God, and it became one of the first books by a Nigerian author to win the award such worldwide recognition. It was named one of the 12 greatest books of all time by Encyclopedia Brittanica, one of the “best novels of the century” by Time magazine, and one of the “100 Novels That Shaped the World” by the BBC.

According to the synopsis, the book is about Okonkwo (Elba), a fearless warrior and leader determined to preserve his people and culture. As British colonizers turn his world upside down, Okonkwo's fight to retain power and tradition escalates into a heartbreaking confrontation. His fierce determination, a fatal flaw in the face of unstoppable change, makes him an unforgettable character who embodies the tension between strength, vulnerability and adaptability.

No writer or showrunner has been hired for the series yet and the series does not currently have a network.

Elba will produce under his 22Summers banner alongside his producing partner Gina Carter. Oyelowo and Amanda N'Duka will serve as executive producers under Oyelowo's Yoruba Saxon banner, with Ben Forkner, Dayo Ogunyemi and Achebe Masterworks also serving as executive producers.

“Things Fall Apart” has made it to the big screen in one way or another in the past, including in a 1971 film and a 1987 Nigerian miniseries, as well as a theater production performed on the Kennedy Center stage in 1999. But his influence on popular culture has remained far-reaching. The Roots named an album after the book, Ryan Coogler named a character in Black Panther inspired by the book, and Achebe has influenced countless artists and public figures. Margaret Atwood called Achebe a “magical writer,” Barack Obama described the book as a “masterpiece,” Nelson Mandela called Achebe a “freedom fighter,” and Toni Morrison “African literature is incomplete and unthinkable without the works of Chinua Achebe.”

Elba was just nominated for an Emmy for his work in the Apple TV+ series Hijack and will next be seen in Kathryn Bigelow's next feature film for Netflix.

Elba is represented by The Artists Partnership, Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole and The Lede Company. Oyelowo is represented by CAA, Hamilton Hodell, Del Shaw Moonves Tanaka Finkelstein & Lezcano and ID. ,

Variety first reported the news.