david oyelowo | Zikoko!

Fans and haters of Okonkwo gather here. The 1958 book Things Fall Apart by the iconic literary mind Chinua Achebe is coming to life again as a TV series. The classic was first brought to life as a film in 1971 and as a miniseries in 1987 with Pete Edochie playing the brutal strongman, Okonkwo.

What has happened so far

The news was first reported by Variety Magazine on Thursday. According to Variety, the new Things Fall Apart series is still in development by the American production studio, A24. Ghanaian DJ and actor Idris Elba is leading the project as executive producer through his new 22Summers production company. Nigerian British actor, David Oyelowo and the creative executive Amanda N’Duka will serve as executive producers through their Yoruba Saxon production company. Ben Forkner, Dayo Ogunyemi, and Achebe Masterworks are also executive producers. A writer has not been announced for the project yet. A network or streaming service has not officially come on board yet.

Cast

While most of the cast has not been announced as the series is still in development, it has been confirmed that Idris Elba will play Okonkwo.

Synopsis

Things Fall Apart is set in the precolonial Igbo society of Umuofia. It follows the rise of Okonkwo to the top of his society as a wealthy farmer and his fall with the invasion of the colonisers. The book, which has been translated into over 60 languages, has been lauded as one of the first authentic novels about Nigeria. It won the Nigerian National Merit Award and the Man Booker International Prize. It is the first book of Achebe’s African Trilogy, which includes No Longer at Ease and Arrow of God respectively.
For the first time in the history of the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), 8 Nollywood movies were showcased in the festival’s City to City programme.

This impressive feat not only proved that Nollywood is definitely on the way to greatness, also, international actors of African descent including Lupita N’yongo and David Oyelowo showed their support.

Speaking to an audience at the City to City: Lagos opening, an excited David Oyelowo was too happy to be in the midst of people who could properly pronounce his name without adding extra ‘phone’.

His speech was not only inspiring but the funniest we’ve seen in a while as he perfectly mimicked the typical Nigerian parent’s reaction to their child going into acting.

We hope to see a Nollywood on the Academy Award playing field soon, but in the meantime, you can watch David Oyelowo’s speech below:
British-Nigerian actor, David Oyelowo, through the GEANCO Foundation has created a scholarship to help girls who are victims of gender inequality and terrorism.
In a press release, he explained that the war against injustice and oppression can only be won by speaking against it and providing lasting solutions to the problem.

Although some of the Nigerian girls who were kidnapped by terrorists have been rescued, David Oyelowo believes so much more can be done to rehabilitate them and help mold them into successful Nigerian women.

According to him, the scholarship will receive financial support from his wife Jessica, American pro-footballer, Warren Moon, and Oprah Winfrey.

Three leadership scholarships will be provided for the 2016/2017 school session and the recipients will be admitted into Anglican Girls Grammar School in Abuja.

Well done, David! We hope the Nigerian government follows in his steps and do what’s necessary.

What has happened so far

Cast

Synopsis

For the first time in the history of the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), 8 Nollywood movies were showcased in the festival’s City to City programme.

This impressive feat not only proved that Nollywood is definitely on the way to greatness, also, international actors of African descent including Lupita N’yongo and David Oyelowo showed their support.

Speaking to an audience at the City to City: Lagos opening, an excited David Oyelowo was too happy to be in the midst of people who could properly pronounce his name without adding extra ‘phone’.

His speech was not only inspiring but the funniest we’ve seen in a while as he perfectly mimicked the typical Nigerian parent’s reaction to their child going into acting.

We hope to see a Nollywood on the Academy Award playing field soon, but in the meantime, you can watch David Oyelowo’s speech below:

In a press release, he explained that the war against injustice and oppression can only be won by speaking against it and providing lasting solutions to the problem.

Although some of the Nigerian girls who were kidnapped by terrorists have been rescued, David Oyelowo believes so much more can be done to rehabilitate them and help mold them into successful Nigerian women.

According to him, the scholarship will receive financial support from his wife Jessica, American pro-footballer, Warren Moon, and Oprah Winfrey.

Three leadership scholarships will be provided for the 2016/2017 school session and the recipients will be admitted into Anglican Girls Grammar School in Abuja.

Well done, David! We hope the Nigerian government follows in his steps and do what’s necessary.