Idris Elba, the London-born actor famous for starring in The Wire and Luther, is set to star in the next TV venture coming from A24, Things Fall Apart. The project is being helmed by the indie studio alongside Elba himself, who will executive produce with Gina Carter through their studio, 22Summers. Yoruba Saxon, a production company led by David Oyelowo and Amanda N’Duka will also participate in the show. Ben Forkner and Dayo Ogunyemi will team up with Achebe Masterworks in order to give life to the project based on the 1958 book that’s widely considered one of the best books ever written.
As reported by Variety, there’s still no writer or director attached to the project and the streaming service or network where it will be available is still to be confirmed. Previous A24 TV shows like Euphoria, Beef, The Curse and The Sympathizer have run on HBO, Netflix and Showtime, and have all been met with critical acclaim.
Things Fall Apart will be adapted from the literary classic of the same name by Chinua Achebe. The story centers around Okonkwo (who Elba will supposedly play), a leader and feared warrior of the Igbo community during the precolonial period in Nigeria. Throughout the book, we see Okonkwo’s resilience put to the test as European colonialism and Christians pillage Igboland, challenging their identity and way of life. The book has previously been adapted into a 1971 film and a 1987 miniseries, both made under the same name and both Nigerian productions.
Things Fall Apart Has Left a Lasting Legacy
The legacy of the book is unquestionable, as it’s been hailed as one of the greatest African novels of all time. Many say it was the first time African communities were explored as more than just secondary characters against the backdrop of colonialism, and the novel was incredibly influential to other African writers who saw Achebe as an innovator in giving Africans a proper voice and breaking the barriers that had previously only ever seen them as savages. Things Fall Apart is now listed as one of “12 Novels Considered the ‘Greatest Book Ever Written'” by Encyclopædia Britannica.
While films like Beasts of No Nation, The Dark Tower, Molly’s Game and The Suicide Squad, were responsible for putting him in the Hollywood spotlight, the 52-year-old actor began his career in television in the mid-1990s. Roles in British shows like The Ruth Rendell Mysteries, The Governor, Dangerfield, were predecessors to the one performance that would change his life: playing the criminal kingpin Stringer Bell in HBO’s The Wire.
Elba would follow with performances in shows like Luther, The Big C, and The Office (the US version) until he landed the role of Sam Nelson in the thriller Hijack. For this performance, he was nominated for an Emmy Award, a recognition he also received for his role as DCI John Luther and his guest role in the comedy The Big C.
Elba’s latest noteworthy show,
Hijack
, is available to stream on Apple TV+.