“Americanah” is Being Adapted into a Series

Lupita Nyong’o’s passion project is coming to life.

Years ago, the Kenyan actress planned to adapt the award-winning novel, Americanah, into a film.

The book by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a love story that follows a young Nigerian woman who leaves her home to study abroad and comes face to face with what it is to be a black person in the United States.

Nyong’o had planned to develop the story for film and star as the woman, Ifemelu, alongside David Oyelowo. But the novel will now be turned into a limited series for HBO Max.

Nyong’o will still star.

Americanah has been a passion project for me since I read Chimamanda’s beautiful novel in 2013,” she said. “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 [Gurira] will bring to the project her intelligence, wit, and understanding of the stories and the worlds of Americanah.

The Oscar winner will be reunited with her Black Panther co-star Danai Gurira on the the project as the latter will act as showrunner, in addition to writing the pilot episode.