Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira’s ‘Americanah’ series scrapped

HBO Max has scrapped its series adaptation of the Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie novel “Americanah” with Lupita Nyong’o and Danai Gurira attached to executive produce. 

The project is no longer moving ahead after Nyong’o was forced to exit the series due to scheduling conflicts stemming from the coronavirus pandemic, Variety reports .

Nyong’o was set to star in the series with Gurira writing and serving as showrunner.

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“Americanah” originally received a 10-episode straight-to-series order at HBO Max in 2019. The show was set to begin production earlier this year, but COVID hit and Hollywood was forced to shut down. After the shooting dates were pushed back, Nyong’o had to drop out due to conflicts with other projects, according to the report.

The Oscar-winning actress originally planned to adapt the novel into a film co-starring alongside David Oyelowo. 

The story traces the life of a young Nigerian woman who migrates to America to attend university amid the backdrop of her love story with a high school classmate.

“Americanah” earned Adichie the 2013 U.S. National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction.

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“‘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. “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.’”

Gurira added, “Through ‘Americanah,’ Chimamanda brought the African female voice into mainstream consciousness in an unprecedented way. It is intellectually incisive, indicting, yet full of humor, and riddled with humanity. She makes unheard voices familiar, universal and yet palpably specific. I am honored to bring her incredible novel to life on the screen.”

Nyong’o was set to star on the series alongside Uzo Aduba, Corey Hawkins, Zackary Momoh, and Tireni Oyenusi.

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