Bob-Manuel Udokwu Questions Idris Elba’s Casting as Okonkwo in ‘Things Fall Apart’ Adaptation

Nollywood veteran Bob-Manuel Udokwu has weighed in on the recent report that British actor Idris Elba will play the lead role of Okonkwo in a television adaptation of Chinua Achebe’s classic novel *Things Fall Apart*. The series, currently in development at A24, will feature Elba and Gina Carter as executive producers under their 22Summers banner, according to *Variety*.

Reacting to the news in an interview with *Channels TV*, Udokwu expressed no personal opposition to Elba’s casting but suggested that Nigerian actors might be better suited for the role. “I don’t have anything against that as an actor, but I think we have top-class actors in Nigeria who can play that role even better, knowing where the story is coming from,” Udokwu stated.

Despite his reservations, Udokwu acknowledged the positive aspects of international collaborations, including Nollywood’s growing ties with Hollywood and other global film industries. He revealed that he is currently working on a film featuring actors from both Bollywood and Hollywood.

*Things Fall Apart*, the first novel in Achebe’s African Trilogy, has previously been adapted into a film and a miniseries, with the latter starring Pete Edochie as Okonkwo.