Major Hollywood production company A24 has greenlit a TV adaptation of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, reports Variety in an exclusive story. Achebe’s family is fully behind the project, coming on as producers through their company Achebe Masterworks.

Nwando Achebe, one of the principal officers of Achebe Masterworks and Achebe’s daughter, expressed her excitement on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “Over the moon about this. My only wish is that Dad could have been here to see this!”

However, the casting of Idris Elba, a British actor of Ghanaian and Sierra Leonean descent, as the lead character Okonkwo has sparked controversy. The criticism has largely focused on Elba’s accent, with many questioning whether a non-Igbo actor can authentically portray the iconic role.

Comments on @filmupdates post on X highlighted these concerns, with users like Lola Okunrin saying, “Things Fall Apart without core Igbo actors that have the right accent will never make sense.”

Elba’s involvement, both as the star and an executive producer, has led some to worry that the production may not do justice to Achebe’s nuanced portrayal of pre-colonial Igbo society. While A24 has a strong reputation for culturally sensitive films like Moonlight and Everything Everywhere All at Once, many fear that Hollywood adaptations of African stories often fall flat, with poor accents and oversimplified narratives.

Things Fall Apart, first published in 1958, is celebrated worldwide for its depiction of not just the clash between traditional African society and British colonialism, but also the psychological, social, and personal complexities of Okonkwo’s character and his community.

In the literary community, there are concerns that a Hollywood-backed production might not capture the intricacies of this epic, intimate, and layered story. It is a tale of friendship, intimacy, community, and loss—elements that go far beyond the typical “clash of cultures” narrative.

A24’s track record for handling culturally unique projects gives some hope, but with no director announced and little information on how the production will collaborate with Nollywood, one of the world’s largest film industries, many uncertainties remain.

British-Nigerian actor David Oyelowo is also tied to the project, but key details like distribution, streaming platforms, and how deeply Nigerian cinema will be involved are still unknown, leaving fans unsure if A24 can truly deliver on this iconic African story.