Wole Soyinka’s ‘The Man Died’ Film Adaptation Set for July Release in UK
In a film adaptation of one of his most renowned works, ‘The Man Died,’ Wole Soyinka will be portrayed by a prominent Nigerian actor.
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The memoir follows Wole Soyinka’s reflections during his time as a political prisoner under the government’s custody amid the late 1960s Nigerian Civil War.
This was made known in an Instagram post on Thursday, May 2, the director of the adaptation, Awam Amkpa, revealed, that the film is scheduled for release in July 2024.
Soyinka released the autobiographical piece in 1972, just two years following the war’s conclusion. His groundbreaking achievement came in 1986 when he became the first Sub-Saharan African to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature.
On Soyinka’s 89th birthday last July, Ojo hailed the playwright as “a rare icon.”
“Akinwande Oluwole Babatunde Soyinka is 89 years old today. Love him OR hate him HE has earned his place amongst the G. O. A. T. of this universe!” the 55-year-old posted on Instagram.
The film adaptation of The Man Died features Nollywood stars Chidi Mokeme, Sam Dede, Norbert Young, Francis Onwochei, Edmond Enabe, and Segilola Ogidan. Others are Simileoluwa Hassan, Christiana Oshunniyi, and newcomer, Abraham Amkpa.
The film is produced by Femi Odugbemi, and written by Bode Asiyanbi. The Man Died will be released to coincide with Soyinka’s 90th birthday in July.
The Nobel laureate’s Death and the King’s Horseman, published in 1975, was similarly adapted into the 2022 Netflix film, Elesin Oba, The King’s Horseman, featuring Odunlade Adekola, Shaffy Bello, Deyemi Okanlawon, Omowunmi Dada, and Jide Kosoko.
Soyinka’s other notable works include The Lion and the Jewel (1959), The Trials of Brother Jero (1960), Aké: The Years of Childhood (1981) and You Must Set Forth at Dawn (2006).
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