In 2014, Lupita Nyong’o took to Instagram to announce that she had acquired the rights to adapt Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie‘s award-winning novel, Americanah,for the big screen — in collaboration with Brad Pitt’s Plan B Productions (12 Years a Slave, Moonlight).
A few months later, it was reported that David Oyelowo (Selma) would star alongside Nyong’o in the film adaptation. But, to the frustration of many, that was the last time we heard anything concrete about the project. Both actors even went on to star in Mira Nair’s 2016 sports biopic, Queen of Katwe.
Well, it seems we might finally have some new, albeit tiny, information about the highly anticipated project. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Americanah was referred to as one of Nyong’o’s “several projects in the works”.
While we already knew that, the interesting thing here is that the article reports the book is being made into a “miniseries”, not a movie like was initially announced. It also states that Lupita is still attached to produce and star in it.
For those who haven’t had the privilege of reading the amazing book, Americanahfollows the story two young Nigerian immigrants, Ifemelu and Obinze, who face a lifetime of struggle while their love story endures.
Speaking to The Daily News, over three years ago, about adapting the book, Nyong’o said:
“It is such an honor to have the opportunity to bring Ms. Adichie’s brilliant book to the screen.
Page after page I was struck by [the characters’] stories, whose experiences as African immigrants are so specific and also so imminently relatable.”
The best thing about the book being made into a miniseries is that we won’t have to worry about too many of our favourite parts getting cut out of the final product. Anyway, nothing conclusive has been announced — so, we’ll just have to wait and see.
