Bob Manuel Udokwu a Nollywood veteran actor 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 novel ‘Things Fall Apart.’
Things Fall Apart’ is the first in Achebe’s celebrated African Trilogy, followed by No ‘Longer at Ease’ and ‘Arrow of God’.
Previous adaptations have included a film and a miniseries, the latter starring Pete Edochie as Okonkwo.
It was 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.
Bob Manuel Reacting in an interview with Channels TV said he has nothing against Elba playing the lead role but insisted that Nigeria has good and top class actors who can play the role better.
There’s this conversation about Idris Elba being cast to play Okonkwo in Hollywood’s make of Things Fall Apart. He said
“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,”.
He, however, mentioned that the ongoing collaboration between Nollywood and other movie industries is a positive development
Udokwu disclosed that he is currently working on a movie that features actors from both Bollywood and Hollywood.
