The Wrap reports that Emmy Award-winning actress Uzo Aduba (Orange Is the New Black) has been cast opposite Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o and Zackary Momoh in HBO Max’s forthcoming limited series adaptation of Americanah. Adubo is set to play the role of Aunty Uju, who is being described as “young aunt and confidant” of Nyong’o’s character.
Based on author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s best-selling novel of the same name, the series will be executive produced by Nyong’o and Danai Gurira, who will also be serving as the series’ writer and showrunner.
Nyong’o starred in Gurira’s Elipsed on Broadway and both appeared in Marvel’s Black Panther.
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
Nyong’o had been developing the adaptation since 2014 with D2 Productions, Plan B Entertainment and Potboiler Television. Americanah will be executive produced by Gurira and Nyong’o through her Eba Productions banner. Andrea Calderwood (Generation Kill) for Potboiler Television, Didi Rea and Danielle Del for D2 Productions, and Nancy Won (Jessica Jones) are also set as executive producers.
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