Matters Arising From Achebe’s Things Fall Apart TV Series

Chido Nwangwu lauds the planned adaptation of Prof Chinua Achebe’s masterpiece novel, Things Fall Apart, into an international television series starring notable movie actors like Savid Oyelowo and Idris Elba, among others.

It came as a joyful news a few days ago that Prof Chinua Achebe’s masterpiece novel, ‘Things Fall Apart’ will be adapted for an upcoming, international television series. It was reported first by the arts and entertainment industry magazine, Variety, on September 26, 2024.

Respected movie superstars Idris Elba, David Oyelowo and a couple of other actors will star in the forthcoming TV series.

Here are some of the things that matter about this project.

First, I believe that the tv production will offer a very significant and indeed unprecedented spotlight on any African novel about historical, pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial events and life in an ethnic community (a part of the Igbo in today’s Nigeria).

Second, Achebe’s multifaceted stories in the ‘Things Fall Apart’ novel, essentially, reflect and capture most of the historical experiences of many other cultures and societies subjected to colonialism and post-colonialism.

Third, it should explain and enhance the historical contexts and educational insights about what the young generation of millions of people on African heritage and their friends and associates will learn.

Prof. Achebe’s body of works earned him respect as one of the masters of the fine art of good writing. He was only 28 years when he wrote the classic, Things Fall Apart, in 1958; before I was born.

In 2013, the statesman, icon and former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, famously said: “There was a writer named Chinua Achebe, who in the company of his books, I felt the prison walls at Robben Island fell down.”

In the assessment of the U.S former President Barack Obama, it is “A true classic of world literature… a masterpiece that has inspired generations of writers in Nigeria, across Africa, and around the world.”

The TV series, according to Variety “is in development at A24….

Elba will executively produce along with Gina Carter under their recently-launched 22Summers production banner. Oyelowo and Amanda N’Duka will executively produce via Yoruba Saxon. Ben Forkner, DayoOgunyemi and Achebe Masterworks also serve as executive producers.”

Variety correspondent, Joe Otterson, notes that the official description of “Things Fall Apart” is the “story of Okonkwo (Elba), one of literature’s most iconic characters—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.”

“Things Fall Apart” is widely regarded as one of the greatest novels ever written. It has been translated into over 60 languages and won awards like 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.

Elba recently earned an Emmy nomination for his starring role in the Apple series “Hijack.” He was also nominated four times for his role in the British crime thriller series “Luther” as well as for best guest actor in a comedy for “The Big C.” His other TV credits include playing Stringer Bell in HBO’s “The Wire” and co-creating and starring in the show “Turn Up Charlie” and creating and starring in “In the Long Run.” In film, Elba is known for his roles in “Beasts of No Nation,” “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom,” and several others.

In one of the several commentaries I have written about Achebe — especially on USAfricaonline.com —in the past 30 years, I stated that he earned the global respect and acclaim as “Africa’s most acclaimed and fluent writer of the English language, our pathfinder, the intellectual godfather of millions of Africans and lovers of the fine art of good writing around the world.”

I served as the moderator of the Achebe Colloquium (Governance, Security, and Peace in Africa) from December 7-8, 2012, at Brown University, in Rhode Island.

The great man Achebe was born on November 16, 1930, in Ogidi, eastern Nigeria. Our teacher and mentor died on March 21, 2013, in Boston, Massachusetts.

Long live, Ugonabo!!

-DrNwangwu, author of the forthcoming book, MLK, Mandela & Achebe: Power, Leadership and Identity., is Founder of the first African-owned, U.S-based newspaper on the internet, USAfricaonline.com, and established USAfrica in 1992 in Houston. Follow him on X @Chido247

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