- Veteran actor, Bob-Manuel Udokwu has reacted to reports of Hollywood’s make of Nigerian novelist and poet, Chinua Achebe’s book, Things Fall Apart into a movie.
- The movie star while on Channels television frowned at Idris Elba taking the lead role, emphasizing that Nollywood has better actors who can interpret the role better.
- Bob-Manuel Udokwu also lauded the impressive way the Nigerian movie industry has been put on the map, thereby generating collaborative movies from other countries.
Nollywood veteran, Bob-Manuel Udokwu has reacted to the report that Hollywood actor, Idris Elba will star as the lead character, “Okonkwo” in a television adaptation of Chinua Achebe’s seminal novel ‘Things Fall Apart.’
Variety recently reported that the series is currently in development at A24, with Elba Elba and Gina Carter serving as executive producers under their 22Summers banner.
Reacting in an interview with Channels TV, Bob-Manuel Udokwu said he has nothing against Elba playing the lead role but insisted that Nigeria has top-class actors who can play the role better. In Bob-Manuel Udokwu’s words:
“There’s this conversation about Idris Elba being cast to play Okonkwo in Hollywood’s make of Things Fall Apart.
“I don’t have anything against that as an actor but I think we have top-class actors in Nigeria who can play that role even better, knowing where the story is coming from.”
The movie star however, mentioned that the ongoing collaboration between Nollywood and other movie industries is a positive development.
Bob-Manuel Udokwu revealed that he is currently working on a movie that features actors from Bollywood and Hollywood.
‘Things Fall Apart’ is the first in Chinua Achebe’s celebrated African Trilogy, followed by No Longer at Ease and Arrow of God.
Previous adaptations of the books have included a film and a miniseries, the latter starring Pete Edochie as Okonkwo.