Lupita Nyong’o’s ‘Americanah’ series scrapped due to Covid-19 concerns
The ‘Americanah’ mini-series adaptation by Lupita Nyong’o and Danai Gurira has been axed by HBO Max due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic and scheduling conflicts.
According to Variety, the show has been dropped by streamer HBO Max after scheduling delays brought about by Covid-19 concerns forced Nyong’o to exit the project.
The show, which had originally received a 10-episode straight-to-series order, was reportedly set to begin production earlier this year. However, ongoing concerns about the pandemic pushed the show’s production date back, ultimately conflicting with shooting schedules for Nyong’o’s other projects, Variety noted.
The movie is based on a book by the same title by award-winning Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
In 2019, Americanah, earned a straight-to-series order from HBO Max, and follows a Nigerian woman named Ifemelu (which was to be played by Nyong’o) and “her extraordinary experiences with love, heartache, adversity and self-discovery” as she travels to America, per the official synopsis.
Nyong’o was set to executive produce and star in the series, while Gurira was set to co-executive produce and write.
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The show would have been a reunion of sorts, as the duo has worked together a handful of times over the years, most memorably co-starring in the 2018 blockbuster Black Panther.
The Oscar-winning actress originally planned to adapt the novel into a film co-starring alongside David Oyelowo.
Americanah earned Adichie the 2013 U.S. National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction.
“Americanah’ has been a passion project for me since I read Chimamanda’s beautiful novel in 2013,” Nyong’o said when the series was originally announced, Variety reported.
Adding; “It’s a tale that is simultaneously timely and timeless. HBO Max is the perfect partner to bring this profound and celebrated story to life, and I’m thrilled that Danai will bring to the project her intelligence, wit, and understanding of the stories and the worlds of ‘Americanah.’”
Nyong’o was set to star on the series alongside Uzo Aduba, Corey Hawkins, Zackary Momoh, and Tireni Oyenusi.