HBO Max To Air Lupita Nyong’o’s Adaptation Of “Americanah”

Lupita Nyong’o and Danai Gurira’s planned adaptation of Chimamanda Adichie’s novel “Americanah” has received a straight-to-series order at HBO Max.

Variety reports that HBO Max has given the limited series a 10-episode order. Nyong’o will star in the series, with Gurira writing the pilot and serving as showrunner.

Lupita Nyong’o and Danai Gurira | Photo: Yahoo

The best-selling novel, “Americanah” tells the story of Ifemelu (Nyong’o), a young, beautiful, self-assured woman raised in Nigeria, who as a teenager falls in love with her classmate Obinze.

Living in a military-ruled country, they each depart for the west, with Ifemelu heading for America, where, despite her academic success, she is forced to grapple for the first time with what it means to be black. Quiet, thoughtful Obinze had hoped to join her, but with post-9/11 America closed to him, he instead plunges into a dangerous undocumented life in London.