Illusioneffect:

It's not necessarily the problem of the writers and directors. The normal consumer of Nollywood content don't want to be challenged with complex storylines - it's not like they're force feeding Nigerians bad content - it's just the content most Nigerians want🤷🏽‍♂️ that's why most movies like Mami wata doesn't do well😪.

That is not true. The nigerian audience is more enlightened than before. Its the filmmakers that are oblivious of reality because they want to make money.

Illusioneffect:

It's not cultural appropriation - telling the story of Things Fall Apart is not just a Nigerian story if you actually think about it - it's an African story and a story of history- the story of Okonkwo should not be segregated to Nigerians only, after all, the events of Okonkwo's death was what played out in almost every British colony.

It's is solely a Nigerian story first and foremost, as it an Historical fiction set around the times of the Igbo culture during British occupation, other British occupied African countries or regions can have unique stories of their own about this time.

If it has to be told on screen by a Hollywood studio with a budget a Nigerian studio can't afford: I think it'll be perfect and also you forget Idris Elba produced Beasts of no Nation - 90% of the side characters were Africans. The boy actor who played as the protagonist spent a year in Africa learning the accent and practicing for the role. I'd rather have a good Hollywood actor play a role than the mediocre actors we have in Asaba.

Beasts of no Nation is nowhere in scale of Things Fall Apart in terms of literary relevance, but i totally get what you mean.

We have talented actors - probably, but most of them don't understand Hollywood and if you don't know this - A24 is a Hollywood studio and they have to abide by the Actor's Guild - no actor can act in a Hollywood film without being a member of Actor's Guild Association except you're a background actor or extra and you don't believe A24 with a tiny budget will fly a lot of Nigerians to act as background actors in different film sets🤷🏽‍♂️.

Again i totally get this. Basically, "It is he who pays the piper, that dictates the tune"

If you haven't watched Beasts of no Nation - watch it - they did an amazing job with the accents and the acting. Idris Elba did an amazing job with the accent - accents can be acted - there're a lot of actors who act with different accents from their main accent : even learn a new language for the role : I won't be surprised if Elba speaks Igbo in the series, anything is possible.

Think of the screenplay - I don't trust Nigerians to write a great script that's totally original🤷🏽‍♂️ sorry but that's just the honest truth.

Yeah, basically all of i have been singing on here for the past few days. Quality is a finite metric in our movie making process and a book of this scale deserves truly the best treatment despites what my emotions may think or want to happen but A24 had better not fail because Nigerians despite riddled with all the basic problems of life, are so relentless in criticising what they hold an opposing view of.

Skipped Beasts of No Nation (2015) for years now, because for some reason i haven't gotten around to read the book. might delve into it now since this one of similar vein is on the horizon.

abduleez1:


True. Solid point.

Cos I know no matter how I hate Africa Magic or Nollywood low tier Asaba films, my dad will be there to watch whatever that nonsense Epic has to deliver.

So, you're right. Without the audience willingness to watch those content, they won't have the guts to keep regurgitating same shït. Profitability would have forced them to look elsewhere or evolve.

Their core audience are the elderly and illiterates. People who lack critical mindset. Anything they drop, they accept without doing due intelligence

LifestyleTonite:


Chiwetel Ejiofor did a marvelous job as the lead actor in 12 Years A Slave. According to your argument, an American of slave ancestry ought to have played the role instead of Chiwetel of Igbo ancestry.

Commerce doesn't give a damn about tribalism. Those behind this project are in it for the money. They know Idris Elba will give the movie a broader reach, while an Igbo actor will subject the film to an Igbo confinement.

Take a look at all those who have starred as Mandela in movies, how many of them are South Africans?

If you guys want an Igbo man as Okonkwo in a new Things Fall Apart, then go set up your own production and stop telling David Oyelowo what to do with his own investment.

It's so sad to read post on X complaining that a Yoruba man is behind the project. They are already trying to start a campaign against him. Well, there's nothing anyone can do about it except rant. Angry people should go and do their own film and let's see.

Solomon Northup who 12 years a slave is based upon, was a son of parents of color who were African American slaves. Where did Americans get African Americans slaves from? and we now know that Igbo slaves landed on the shores of the new world aka America and it's very plausible for Chiwetel Ejiofor to play that role and still be historically correct.

But i totally get your point. They might have paid a butt load of money to get rights to the material from the Achebe's estate and it's only wise they explore the best route of getting their money's worth back and then some. It's a business like you alluded, after all.

oyaskii:
Solomon Northup who 12 years a slave is based upon, was a son of parents of color who were African American slaves. Where did Americans get African Americans slaves from? and we now know that Igbo slaves landed on the shores of the new world aka America and it's very plausible for Chiwetel Ejiofor to play that role and still be historically correct.

But i totally get your point. They might have paid a butt load of money to get rights to the material from the Achebe's estate and it's only wise they explore the best route of getting their money's worth back and then some. It's a business like you alluded, after all.

I heard Achebe refused Hollywood adapting the story while he was still alive.

So most likely they'd have paid some good money for the project.

At least, maybe they can get someone like Hakeem Kae-Kazim, he's more enmeshed in Nollywood than any other Nigerian/African diasporan.

But las las I know say na person like John Boyega dem go give us.

oyaskii:
It's is solely a Nigerian story first and foremost, as it an Historical fiction set around the times of the Igbo culture during British occupation, other British occupied African countries or regions can have unique stories of their own about this time.

You're right. All I'm saying is the events of Things Fall Apart happened every where there was colonialism. The story of pride and sticking to tradition played it in every colony occupied by the British

oyaskii:
Beasts of no Nation is nowhere in scale of Things Fall Apart in terms of literary relevance, but i totally get what you mean

Exactly, that's why I trust A24 more than any Nollywood asaba film production company to tell a better story

oyaskii:
Skipped Beasts of No Nation (2015) for years now, because for some reason i haven't gotten around to read the book. might delve into it now since this one of similar vein is on the horizon.

It's one of my favourite movies of all time. And very sorrowful but rewatchable

oyaskii:
Solomon Northup who 12 years a slave is based upon, was a son of parents of color who were African American slaves. Where did Americans get African Americans slaves from? and we now know that Igbo slaves landed on the shores of the new world aka America and it's very plausible for Chiwetel Ejiofor to play that role and still be historically correct.

If this is your point, don't you think it's racist to call someone unsuitable for a role because he's British, even though he's black and his ancestors could be Igbos.
After all, Chiwetel is not African American and he doesn't understand the struggles of African American people.
I don't know why if a white guy does something with An African story, it's cultural appropriation but when another race does it (which they do all the time) it's normal.