Americanah, the award-winning book by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, is being turned into a mini-series and the cast is looking every bit as good as we’d hoped.
Uzo Aduba is the latest name to be attached to Americanah, the new mini-series inspired by and named after Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s award-winning book.
It’s exciting news considering how much Ngozi Adichie’s powerful writing gripped readers when the book was released in 2013. It deals with themes of racism and prejudice in western society, showcasing an in-depth, intricately developed female protagonist and characters. And as casting decisions continue to be announced we’re excited to see who will portray them.
What is Americanah about?
If you haven’t already read the book, the plot follows Ifemelu, a bright, young Nigerian woman who shows great promise academically throughout her schooling. While studying she becomes close friends and falls in love with a boy in her class called Obinze, who also has an ambitious nature with plans to carry on his studies. The pair discuss their dreams for the future, and as Nigeria is currently under military rule, find themselves believing that western cultures may have more to offer.
Ifemelu succeeds in getting into an American university and continues her life there, where she for the first time encounters racism and learns the negative view that American society can have of people of colour. After 9/11 Obinze’s application for a visa is denied, and instead he goes on to study in London. Both become successful in their own right, but it’s when they return to Nigeria and re-meet that a question mark over what their relationship could be starts to form.
Who is in the cast for the new TV series?
Lupita Nyong’o was the first name to be confirmed in the mini-series and will be playing the starring role of Ifemelu. After this year’s stunning performance in horror film Us, we’re excited to see Nyong’o lend her talents to something entirely different. Zackary Momoh, who appears in 2019’s Doctor Sleep, will star alongside Nyong’o as Obinze.
It has also been announced that Aduba, who won an Emmy award for her performance as “Crazy Eyes” in Orange is the New Black will also be involved in the project, playing Aunty Uju, a close friend and confidant of Ifemelu.
Danai Gurira (Black Panther, The Walking Dead) wrote the pilot and will be working as showrunner, while Nyong’o, Plan B Entertainment, Andrea Calderwood, Didi Rea and Danielle Del, and Nancy Won also exec producing.
The show is being created by HBO Max, but there are no details so far on when we can expect it to hit our screens.
Images: Getty
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