Renowned Nollywood actor Wole Ojo, known for his captivating performances, has been chosen to embody the iconic Wole Soyinka in the highly anticipated film adaptation of The Man Died.
The Man Died (1972) is a prose account of Wole Soyinka’s arrest and 22-month imprisonment as a political prisoner. It is also a poignant reflection on the Nigerian Civil War (1967-1970).
Published in 1972, just two years after the war ended, the book is significant in Nigeria’s history.
Awam Amkpa, the film’s director, a respected playwright and professor of drama, film, and social and cultural analysis at New York University in Abu Dhabi, is in charge of bringing this iconic piece to life.
Other actors in the film are Chidi Mokeme, Sam Dede, Segilola Ogidan, Norbert Young, Edmund Enabe, Francis Onwochei, Christiana Oshunniyi, Simileoluwa Hassan and Abraham Amkpa.
The film was written by Bode Asiyanbu and produced by Femi Odugbemi and is set for release on Soyinka’s 90th birthday in July 2024.
Past adaptations
The Man Died marks the fifth time a literary work by Soyinka has been adapted for the big screen.
This rich history includes the 2002 release of Elesin Oba, an adaptation of the play Death and The King’s Horseman, which starred Odunlade Adekola.
The first literary piece by Mr Soyinka to be adapted for television is Kongi’s Harvest. Directed by Ossie Davis, it is a 1970s Nigerian drama film adapted from Soyinka’s 1965 play of the same name. Mr Soyinka also starred in the leading role as the dictator of an African nation.
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In 2015, writer Dapo Adeniyi wrote and produced a film version of Soyinka’s autobiography, ‘Ake: The Years of Childhood.
Acclaimed filmmaker Tunde Kelani also adapted ‘The Lion and the Jewel’ as ‘Sidi Ilujinlẹ’ in 2017.
Watch the trailer of The Man Died below.
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