Veteran Nollywood actor Bob Manuel has reacted to reports that popular British actor Idris Elba will star as the main character Okonkwo in the television adaptation of Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart.
Things Fall Apart is the first film in Achebe’s famous African trilogy, followed by Noga at Ease and Arrow of God.
Previous film adaptations include a movie and a miniseries, the latter starring Pete Edochie as Okonkwo.
It was recently reported that Idris Elba and Gina Carter will executive produce the series, which is currently in development, under the “22Summers” banner.
The development sparked several reactions as many Nigerians feared that the British actor would not be able to play the role well because he is not ‘Igbo’.
In response, Bob Manuel said in an interview with Channels TV that he is not opposed to Elba playing the lead role, but that there are better top-class actors in Nigeria who could play the role better. insisted.
He explained: “There is talk that Idris Elba will be cast as Okonkwo in the Hollywood movie Things Fall Apart, and as an actor I have nothing against that, but I think Nigeria has top-class actors. You can play that role better if you know where that story comes from, but that’s a story for another day.”
Mr. Udoku emphasized the need for cooperation across the film industry, and emphasized that it is already starting to take shape.
“What Nollywood needs right now is collaboration and that is starting to happen. I happen to be involved in another production that involves leading Indian actors and actresses based in Hollywood. We need to collaborate more with our partners in the United States and North America, and that is happening gradually. The pool of talent we have in Nigeria is amazing,” he concluded.
