Writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Half of A Yellow Sun
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s award winning novel, Half Of A Yellow Sun, has been picked up to become a film with the production team behind “The Last King of Scotland”, reports Jamati. (FINALLY!)
It’s always great to see Nigerian literature being picked up by the mass media. I’m definitely looking forward to this film from the outcome to the film production’s actor picks…and hopefully you are too excited about this tidbit.
Half Of A Yellow Sun won a Orange Prize for Fiction in 2007 and the young British-Nigerian author was named by ESSENCE as a honorable African.
About Half of A Yellow Sun:
Half of a Yellow Sun is set in Nigeria during the 1960s, at a time of the vicious Nigeria- Biafra war in which more than a million people died and thousands were massacred in cold blood.
Three characters are swept up in the rapidly unfolding political events. Ugwu, a boy from a poor village, is employed as a houseboy for a university lecturer. Olanna, a young, middle-class woman, has come to live with the professor, abandoning her privileged life in Lagos for a dusty university town and the charismatic idealism of her new lover. Richard is a tall, shy Englishman, in thrall to Olanna’s twin sister Kainene, who refuses to belong to anyone.
They are propelled into events that will pull them apart and bring them together in the most unexpected ways. As Nigerian troops advance and they run for their lives, their ideals – and their loyalties to each other – are severely tested. This novel is about Africa, about moral responsibility, the end of colonialism, ethnic allegiances, class and race, and about how love can complicate all these things.
[quote via ORANGE PRIZE.CO.UK]
Quick Facts on Chimamanda:
- She was born in Enugu State, Nigeria to Igbo parents but she’s from Anambra State, Nigeria.
- She’s been called the female literary answer to Chinua Achede.
- BBC News called Chimamanda the new face of African literature.
- Her birthday is coming up – September 15th!
- Her debut novel is called, Purple Hibiscus which won Best First Book award in the 2005 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize.
- Her third novel, The Thing Around Your Neck, was released in April 2009.
FG2BH PRESENTS HALF OF YELLOW SUN DREAM CAST…
Chiwetel Ejifor as Richard /Yaya DaCosta as twin sisters Olanna and Kainene
Why? Two-time Golden Globe nominated Chiwetel has proved himself as an impressive, serious actor who has worked alongside Denzel Washington, Taraji P. Henson, Don Cheadle and fellow British-Nigerian actor Sophie Okonedo. Go rent Chiwetel’s films American Gangster, Talk To Me, and Four Brothers to see what I’m talking about!
Yaya turned around her America’s Next Top Model (Season 3) platform into a lucrative acting career as she appeared in Take The Lead alongside Rob Brown and Antonio Banderas and the long running soap opera All My Children.
Would you go support this film?
Filed under: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Chiwetel Ejifor, Film Review, Naija | Tagged: Book, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Chiwetel Ejifor, Film, Nigeria, Yaya DaCosta
As a die-hard fan of Chimamanda Adichie and a fellow Igbo, I would ABSOLUTELY support this film. However, I am extremely appalled that Yaya was selected to play the role of not one, but TWO lead characters. As a Nigerian, I am disappointed that a Nigerian actress was not selected, especially when there are outstanding Nigerian/Igbo actresses who are better suited to play the part (Genevieve Nnaji is one example). I saw both movies Yaya acted in and neither performance was noteworthy. I hope casting calls are still taking place and she is not the final pick.
Correction: Yaya has only acted in one movie that I know of. I was thinking of someone else when I said two movies. Her acting in the “Take the Lead” was still less than stellar.
With all due respect, but it would appear that the author of this article has not read the book Half of a Yellow Sun!
If they had, they would realise that the suggestions for their dream cast are most inappropriate, given that the character of Richard is a white man, and that Olanna and Kainene are not identical twins. You only have to read up to chapter 2 to realise this!
I’m not sure if I’d like to see this made into a Hollywood movie, if for no other reason than I know I’ll be cringing at black Americans trying to speak at what they think is a Nigerian accent!
With Hollywood they tend to favor the underdog (ie. Slumdog Millionaire), newcomer (ie. Jennifer Hudson) and established (ie.Sophie Okonedo, Djimon Hounsou <–both Oscar nominees) and now if a big name Nollywood actress carried this film perhaps Hollywood would finally give Nollywood the same type of due respect it earns and deserves. (Nollywood is right behind Bollywood with film making!) Miss Nnaji can be the Kerry Washington of Hollywood with the RIGHT management, PR team, makeup, a plum designer red carpet look (ie. Tiffany Amber, Jewel by Lisa) and endorsement deals (Maybelline, Covergirl, Loreal.) Not to knock on Miss Rai's hustle but if she can breakthrough American market so can Miss Nnaji!
Oh please, do you people really think our film industry compares with Bollywood’s? Have you seen the technical quality of the films those people are making these days. Besides, the author did not say these people were the cast, she said they would be her dream cast. I think Genevieve is more of a star than an actress but i do think we have the acting talent for the role (if only our actors would take their craft more seriously). The gist I heard is that thandie newton has been offered the role.
and apart from the white guy, there is a black male lead as well, the revolutionary nsukka lecturer who’s dating the other twin
Kemi have you seen This America which was shot primarily in the States? There is hope for Naija film industry but the bad ones are overshadowing the gems that there are being produced. If you go to any Carribean food store our films are being sold. There is an audience for our films – the good, the bad and the ugly. Thandie Newton would help bring star power to this film. Thanks for noticing that the blog post mention DREAM cast. I pick these two based upon marketability. Genevieve Nnaji needs a great film role in the American market to get started over here. She can even do a Naija film but have the premiere here in America. People WILL come out to support. She has fans from Nigerians to Non-Nigerians. Miss Nnaji takes her acting career seriously as she has become selective in what role she would portray. If Nnaji, Thandie, Djimon, even Boris Kodjoe, and Chiwetel were cast the Hollywood industry would treat it as a black film. Look at how The Secret Life of Bees was embraced ticket wise.
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[...] country. Her latest novel The Thing Around Your Neck is in stores now! Be on the lookout for her book t0 film adaptation based on the award-winning Half Of A Yellow [...]
my dream cast? I’d like Kerry Washington to play the lovely twin (she has that beautiful Igbo girl looks going on!), Djimon Honsou to play the radical lecturer (I love his intensity!), Kate Henshaw to play the other twin that dates the white guy (because she can convey that quiet intelligence, the “ugly twin” has!) and James McAvoy to play the confused white guy….because he was so brilliant in last king of scotland!!I do hope Ngozi Adichie gets to have some creative input into the making of this movie and not just leave it to hollywood to glamorize!! The wrong casting can just make the story another African needless war and killing saga! But with the right casting, the story within the story can be conveyed beautifully!
Another important xter is the lecturer’s house boy!! This young fella is the key the link in the entire story as it turns out he was the one writing the book with the book! I can’t think of anyone that can play him but the casting for this shld be right!