The Nigerian film industry, otherwise known as Nollywood, has come a long way. From humble beginnings, the world is taking note. What with Lupita N’yongo currently working on adapting Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah to the screen. But one wonders why Nigerian films or television series have not benefited more from the rich literary culture that has gifted the world many award winning writers. But all is not lost. While we wait for that to happen, savour these films that were adapted from Nigeria’s written word.
Kongi’s Harvest (1970): There are those who will argue that Kongi’s Harvest precedes Nollywood as we know it today. But it is nonetheless a Nigerian film that showed the way to the present. A play written by Wole Soyinka in 1965, it was produced by Francis Oladele under his production company Calpenny Nigeria Ltd in 1970. Ossie Davies directed the film.- Bullfrog in the Sun (1972): A combination of two books; Things fall Apart and No Longer at Ease by Chinua Achebe, each published in the years 1958 and 1960, respectively. The film was released in 1972 and in the mid-90s, Things Fall Apart returned to the screen as a series that aired on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA).
- Koseegbe (1995): The book of the same title was written by Akinwumi Isola and published in 1981, the film was produced/directed by Tunde Kelani of Mainframe Studios and released in 1995.
- The Concubine (2007): The well-known book for its famous tragic ending was written by Elechi Amadi in 1966 and was released as a film directed by Andy Amenechi in 2007.
- The Virgin (2007): Published in 1985, this book written by Bayo Adebowale was adapted into a movie in 2007 by Tunde Kelani. The film was renamed The White Handkerchief.
- Maami (2011): Maami, written by Femi Osofisan, was published in 1987. It was adapted into a film of the same title in 2011 by Tunde Kelani. The film, which stars Funke Akindele and Wole Ojo, had a gross worth of over N11 million.
- Perfect Church (2011): Ebi Akpeti’s book, the movie of the same title was produced by Wale Adenuga Productions in 2011.
- Half of A Yellow Sun (2013): Perhaps one of the biggest of the adaptations in Nollywood, not only did it come with a lot of publicity, it also featured Hollywood players. Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie published in 2007 was well received by critics and included in New York Times 100 Most Notable Books of the Year. It was adapted in 2013 by Sharemen Media/ Slate Films and directed by Biyi Bandele with the grossing amount of N60 million.
- Dazzling Mirage (2015): Dazzling Mirage came from a novel written by University of Ibadan lecturer, Olayinka Egbokhare in 2007 and was adapted by Tunde Kelani in 2015 with a gross worth of over N13 million.
- Beast of No Nation (2015): Adapted from a book written by Uzodinma Iweala in 2005 about a young boy who becomes a child soldier as his country goes through a horrific war, it is co-produced and directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga. Released in 2015 with the budget of $6 million, it stars award winning actor, Idris Elba. The title of the book was named after a Fela Kuti album.
Kongi’s Harvest (1970): There are those who will argue that Kongi’s Harvest precedes Nollywood as we know it today. But it is nonetheless a Nigerian film that showed the way to the present. A play written by Wole Soyinka in 1965, it was produced by Francis Oladele under his production company Calpenny Nigeria Ltd in 1970. Ossie Davies directed the film.
